


Thicker than Dragon's Blood

by KXDragon27



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Dragon!Neil, M/M, Matt loves Neil, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Prophecy, Renee is dangerous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:34:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9100615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KXDragon27/pseuds/KXDragon27
Summary: The Prophecy said:The ruler with the last Dragon under his control is set to rule over all other kingdoms for the rest of time. His descendants will forever hold divine power and their blood will become thick with magic. That was all it took for Empires and Kingdoms all over the world to wage war on each other until a century of world wars pushed the most powerful and divine creatures to a near extinction, and only one dragon remained: Nathan, Butcher of Men and Lord of the Skies. He belonged to the Moriyama Dynasty of the Karasu Empire and was under the control of Kengo Moriyama: making him ruler of all for the rest of time. Or so he would be if Nathan did not have a son hidden from the world.





	1. Last Peaceful Sleep

Nathaniel had climbed a number of cliffs in his lifetime, but never one quite this high. He wasn’t afraid of heights and some reckless part of him wondered if the feeling of falling to one’s death would prompt his wings to tear through and allow him to fly on instinct.

He has never known the feeling of soaring through the skies, although sometimes in his dreams he does. He feels the harsh breeze push him back, feels the clouds dissipate and leave droplets of water as he passes through them, chases birds until he tires, and when he finally feels free and unstoppable, in a world of his own, he awakens.

Unknowingly, he traces the spell marks running down his arms. They cover his entire body and stop at his face. He has to cover them well so he wears a dark cloak over his ragged clothing. It’s a size too large and swallows him whole, but his skin and the spell marks are left well hidden. He wears a small scarf around his neck and has it wrapped around his face to just below the nose. This along with the cloak’s hood keep his face well hidden.

Although there is only one being left who would ever recognize him, Nathaniel knew after a life on the run, that it was always best to play it safe.

He takes a moment to recover his thoughts and breathing and continues to climb upwards until he finally reaches the mouth of the cave. He had spotted it from the ground as he walked through the narrow valley, and it stood so high up in the cliffs that hope grew in his heart. He needed a cave that was inaccessible to humans, a place safe enough to hide for a couple of months as he slept.

His mother had warned him that until the final spell was cast on him, his dragon instincts and tendencies would take over from time to time. What she had failed to warn him of was of how dangerous it was to ignore and push those instincts aside. Because although Nathaniel had lived his life hidden inside a human’s body, his inner dragon was slowly growing stronger inside. And some days it felt as though the only thing stopping the beast from tearing through him was the spell his mother cast on him. These days all the dragon wanted to do was find a cave to brumate in. Winter was coming and his primal instinct to stay warm and hidden until spring, sprang alive in him until it was all he could think of.

It was going to be the first winter without his mother, and this meant it was going to be the first winter where his dragon instincts won over his taught inherent instincts to never stay at one place for too long. He had repressed this side of him for too long and had finally allowed the dragon’s instincts to take over.

Nathaniel inspected the inside of the cave. He placed a steady hand onto the ragged walls and felt how far it lead him since his human eyes were no good in the dark. It was a long cave that extended far down to a bed of rocks where he could easily hide behind if he needed to. Although it was the best cave he had found so far, some part of him still nagged _not safe…not safe enough_.

Still he couldn’t imagine finding a better cave this close to winter, so he settled down and laid his belongings across the rocks. He didn’t have much, just what a sack on his back could carry: a blanket, another cloak (this one lighter), a spare change of clothes, dried fruits and meats, and a map. A map, the last thing his mother had hidden in his clothing before…well it was the last thing she gave him and in it was a location circled and a name. Nothing else. He took a moment to stare carefully at the map. He knew he was hiding out in the mist valley and the circled area on the map was months away from where he was. He didn’t have the slightest clue of how to get there either.

**_Stuart Hatford_ **

His uncle. That was the name his mother had written down. If only he could figure out how he would cross through several territories and then across an entire ocean to get to Inglaterra, then he could begin his search.

But now was not the time to travel. Now, with winter approaching, it was time for him to sleep. To brumate for the first time, he didn’t know what to expect. He only knew the dragon inside of him was forcing him to close his eyes…to fall…into a deep slumber.

 

жжж

 

“Quit it. Now.” Andrew said as he grabbed the bottle of liquor from Kevin’s trembling hands.

“Andrew, don’t take that from me, I need it,” Kevin paused for a moment looking around the tavern and hearing the panicked talk all around him, “Especially now.” He attempted to take the bottle back but moved too fast, swaying and almost crashing to the floor. He saved himself with his good hand and fast reflexes but by the time he found his footing, Andrew and the bottle were gone.

Nicky was the one to finally drag him out once it became clear Andrew wouldn’t come back.

“Kevin, you’re going to kill yourself at the rate you’re going,” Nicky said as he casted a spell to light the dark alleyway leading into the inn they were staying at.

“I’m already dead.” Kevin said as he kicked a pebble aside.

“You’re not dead yet, so stop saying that. Look we’re all shocked to hear the news but this doesn’t mean we have to give up and wallow in self-pity. There has to be another way, we just need to keep searching,” Nicky, the overly optimist, would always find a way to lend some hope. And hope was what they needed right now.

But Kevin was smarter than to think hope could save them. They were done for. He was done for.

They made it back to their room in the small inn where everyone else was waiting for the last of them to arrive. It turned out that Andrew had been close behind, silently watching. Kevin wasn’t surprised, Andrew was always watching.

“About time you all decided to show up,” Wymack said as he approached Kevin, “and the next time you run off like that, I’ll have Dan whip up a leash spell just for you.”

He waited until Kevin nodded before continuing, “And as for the rest of you, just calm down. We’re going to sit down and figure this mess out. Abby can you bring out the map?”

Abby walked forward and summoned a map of the surrounding kingdoms.

Wymack held his head in concentration as the rest of the group gathered around the map, “Okay, so by the rate at which the news is spreading, the rest of the kingdoms will be notified by tomorrow, at the latest, that Nathan, Lord of the Skies has killed Firroth, the Eternal Fire— ”

“So much for eternal,” Seth scoffed at the same time Nicky said, “Don’t forget ‘Butcher of Men’… Nathan, Lord of Skies and Butcher of Men.”

“Now’s not the time,” Wymack sternly replied, “Anyways, this officially makes Nathan the last living Dragon.”

There was a thick silence in the room as everyone absorbed the information before Seth said, “We’re fucked then. I knew it was stupid to think Firroth could hold him off until we reached Inglaterra.”

“Seth,” Wymack warned, “This does not mean the end, we always knew there was a possibility of Firroth dying too soon.”

“So then what do we do? What’s our plan, huh? Give us one reason to not just leave this place and head off into hiding, cause if we’re found as the Moriyama’s shift into power, we’re as good as dead,” Allison hissed into the silence as everyone waited attentively for Wymack’s or Abby’s response.

“There will always be opposition,” was Wymack’s only response before he allowed Abby to elaborate.

“The south Kingdoms have always opposed the Karasu Empire and their savage treatment of the Dragons. Even if the Prophecy is true, there are enough Kingdoms willing to unite against them. As long as we bring them together and gather up a force against the Moriyamas, we still stand a chance.” Abby looked around at the averted eyes of her beloved foxes and knew something else had to be said before they lost hope.

It was Seth, however, who spoke the next words, “I think you’re forgetting something. They still have Nathan. How is anyone supposed to go up against the Moriyama’s when they have the last dragon on earth under their command. And the strongest one to come out of this century old battle, may I add. He’d eat any army opposing Kengo’s rule before they even reach anywhere near the Karasu Empire. With no other Dragon to go up against him, just face it, we’re done for. Firroth was our last hope. And he’s dead now.”

“If you want to give up that easy…then go ahead. Leave,” Dan stood up to say, “But I know there’s some of us here that would rather die fighting for what we believe in than to live in hiding and under control of tyrants. Wymack came to each of us because we all lost something to this war, and he came to us with hope, that one day we could stop living in fear. And I still believe that one day that will come true, as long as we keep going. We made a pledge to be Foxes. To stick together and use our magic to fight for what’s right. And I don’t plan on breaking that pledge tonight or any night as long as I live. And if our family means anything to you all, then you’ll do what we’ve always done best and stick together until the end.” Dan walked to stand next to Wymack and Abby, Matt following closely behind.

Renee walked to hold Dan’s hand as a silent agreement that she too would stay.

Andrew gave a bored look to Kevin, before nudging him forward, “You’re not dead yet,” was the silent confirmation that Andrew, and as a result, the rest of the monsters, were planning to stay and follow Wymack.

That left Seth and Allison.

“Well it doesn’t hurt to be free for a while longer, alright we’ll continue this,” Allison waved around the room, “whatever this is.”

Seth stayed quiet but didn’t argue.

“So then it’s settled, we’ll start traveling towards the southern kingdoms and rally up an alliance. But for now get some rest, you lot won’t be sleeping in beds for some time while we travel, and Andrew,” Wymack gave a pointed look to the monsters before he went off to his own room, “keep any and all liquor away from Kevin. Try to keep him alive will you?”

“No promises.”


	2. Necks and Knives

What Wymack had failed to mention was his intent on stopping at his home kingdom before setting off on their long journey to the southern kingdoms and beyond. The Kingdom of Palmetto was relatively well known far and wide for what kind of people they allowed in. Their late king believed that all humans and magical creatures deserved a second chance, and so many who were exiled from their kingdoms for any reason ranging from use of forbidden magic to even murder were allowed entry. All that was asked of them was contributing to the betterment of Palmetto and its people.

To other kingdoms, the ideals that Palmetto stood on were foolish and dangerous. The Karasu empire, in particular, held strong beliefs that Palmetto was better off not existing. That those who were exiled were better off dead.

Palmetto became the first kingdom to fall under the merciless ruling of the Moriyama Dynasty. With no army established to protect them, the kingdom burned with destructive magic, and the King was thought to have fled before Kengo had a chance to have him killed.

What remained was chaos and disorder, and without a king to guide them, Kengo left the kingdom to be destroyed by its own hazardous people. What Kengo didn’t anticipate was the extent to which the exiles loved their late king, and how his kindness and acceptance had given them hope that they could co-exist and work together. Soon after the Karasu’s army left the land, the people rebuilt their kingdom and kept the ideals their late king established. Nowadays Palmetto was known as the kingdom of freedom and refugees, open to all creatures, magical or not.

Wymack was sure he could scout the kingdom and rally up an independent army for the upcoming war. There were plenty of people and creatures capable of using magic or skilled in some other art of fighting, many who would be willing to fight for their freedom when the time came.

They were about a week away from Palmetto and were passing through the rural lands where only a few cottages and plenty of farmland could be found, when Aaron begin hearing it, or better yet, feeling it.

It started off as a faint noise in the back of his head. _...ol…old…cold_

And soon enough he began to feel cold. They were still up north and winter was soon approaching, but Aaron was covered in furs and Nicky had even cast a spell in the morning to keep them warm, yet he was still shivering.

The voice and the sensation would go away for a couple of hours and then start again. Aaron didn’t mention the strange occurrence to the foxes, nor anyone from his own little group, but he knew Andrew had noticed his odd behavior.

Aaron wasn’t surprised at the extra attention his brother had been giving him since the news broke out. Andrew was waiting for a breakdown. He was waiting until reality hit Aaron.

_What’s a dragon tamer without any dragons?_

_Dragon Tamer._ It was in his blood. It was in Andrew’s blood too; he just wasn’t raised into the family trade like Aaron was. Andrew hadn’t spent every waking moment of his childhood learning about dragons, like Aaron had. Andrew hadn’t woken up every day just to train tirelessly, learning a new spell each day to further hone his taming magic, like Aaron had. Andrew never went to sleep hoping, praying that the next day he would come across a wild dragon and bring it back home tamed. But Aaron had…every single night.

He had been born during the peak years of the Dragon War, where dragon tamers were at the highest demand. They had one of the most crucial jobs in the war: find wild dragons, tame them, and sell them to the highest bidder.

It was also around this time that the dragon population began to dwindle, their numbers quickly declining as the war raged on. He had been warned that Dragons would become extinct in the years to come, but he hadn’t thought it would be this soon.

He wrapped his arms around himself, the voice was gone and so was the freezing sensation, but Aaron felt cold for another reason. He served no purpose now.

He could feel Andrew’s eyes on him, but it was Nicky’s loud complaining that brought him back to the present.

“Wymack are you sure we can’t stop at one of these cottages for the night? One last night in a sheepskin cot doesn’t sound like a bad idea when you stop to think that we’re going be spending at least a week traveling through Mist Valley.” Nicky looked around to see if anyone would back him up and frowned when no one spoke up.

“Nicky if you keep wanting to stop at every place that offers a bed we’re never going to reach the southern kingdoms in time. We’ll set up camp in Mist Valley once the sun sets.” Wymack did his best to ignore the loud whine that came from Nicky until Andrew finally had enough and placed a spell of silence on his cousin.

Mist Valley was lined with enormous cliffs that seemed to touch the sky and its narrow, curved passage stretched for miles with no end in sight. Wymack had warned them to keep their guard up because they never knew what was hiding around the corner. It was eerily silent without Nicky’s incessant chitchat, and it was clear the valley was not frequented by humans.

_…gry…ungry…_

That was new. It was the same voice, Aaron realized, but it was finally saying something else. But even in the silence, he couldn’t quite make it out. Until he felt it. An unbearable hunger washed over him.

_…ungry…hungry…_

“Kevin, just one more bite, please!”

“We literally just ate an hour ago, Nicky. The answer’s no, unless you’re catching our next meal,” Kevin said as Nicky pouted and grabbed pathetically at his stomach. The spell of silence had either worn off or Andrew was feeling kind (not likely).

Strange, Aaron thought, he wasn’t the only one feeling hungry even if he felt full a moment ago. Maybe Nicky could hear the voice too.

His suspicion was confirmed a couple hours later when the voice returned, this time he felt the thirst before he heard a faint _ater…water…_

Nicky went to grab his goatskin water bag and drained it before Kevin could stop him.

“What is wrong with you?! First you waste half your magic casting warming spells when it’s not even that cold, and then you eat two days’ rations, and now you’ve finished off a day’s worth of water. Do you not understand we have to survive with what little we have, you can’t go off wasting our resources,” Kevin ranted as he drew the attention of the other foxes who were ahead of them.

“I can’t help it; I’ve been getting these urges ever since we reached the valley. There’s something strange going on,” Nicky mumbled.

“Well learn how to control them before they become more of a problem than they already are.” Kevin made sure he took Nicky’s share of rations before he went off ahead.

Once Kevin was out of sight, Aaron lost his restraint and chugged down half of his own water while Andrew gave him a pointed look.

The night ended with them setting up camp, each group setting up their own tent. Abby and Wymack in one, Allison, Renee, and Dan in another, Matt and Seth in the smallest one, and Kevin, Andrew, Aaron and Nicky in the largest since they were the biggest group and Andrew very much liked his personal space.

Although they all seemed exhausted after the long day, it seemed as if Kevin was the only one who got a decent night’s sleep. Aaron and Nicky would wake up at the same time craving warmth, water, or food. Andrew kept watch over them as he tried to figure out their odd behavior.

It wasn’t until the next morning when Aaron finally went up to Nicky to ask, “Are you hearing voices?”

Nicky made an exasperated noise. “Aaron I’m not going crazy okay; I seriously feel something weird is going on.”

“That’s not what I meant. So you’re not hearing voices?”

“No, why? Are you?”

“Never mind.”

Aaron walked away and kept to himself for the rest of the day. So Nicky couldn’t hear the voice but he could feel the urges and cravings. He used the moments when the voice was gone to think of possible explanations but kept coming up short.

It was during the third night when Aaron decided to look around. He had a sneaking suspicion that the voice came from a magical creature hidden somewhere within the cliff’s openings, probably suffering from lack of warmth, food, and water. He would find it, put it out of its misery and go back to sleep. Simple.

He quietly made his way out of the shared tent and into the darkness of the night. He summed up a basic tracking spell and set it loose to do the job for him. It would sniff out any surges in magic and find any magical presence in a 10-mile radius. He found it more than a little strange when it came back empty. So then it wasn’t magical? But then how was he able to hear its voice and feel what it was feeling?

He summoned a light and went off to look for it himself. When the voice returned he quickly noticed how it would get louder as he traveled in a particular direction. Once he reached the cliff’s wall, he looked up to find a cave far above the surface. Aaron was sure the creature was hiding in there.

It took longer than he would have liked to scale the cliff, but the climb up gave him enough time to consider his options. The creature sounded weak so it shouldn’t prove hard to end its life, maybe he’d even skin it and have Kevin help carry out the meat.

As he reached the entrance he prepared himself for conflict just in case the creature put up a fight. But as he brought light into the dark cave, he was startled to find Andrew casually sitting on a boulder overlooking a shadowed figure. The figure, that appeared more human than it did creature, looked to be asleep.

“So I wasn’t the only one hearing him.” It wasn’t a question, Aaron meant it as a statement.

“He’s cold,” was Andrew’s response.

“Didn’t imagine you as the caring type.”

“I’m not. But when he’s cold, I become cold. Isn’t that interesting.”

“It’s probably some basic beast spell,” Aaron offered as he walked closer, “Nicky was feeling the effects too but couldn’t hear the voice.”

“If it was a spell, why is it that I can’t feel any magic coming from it.”

Aaron made sure to stand above the figure before motioning his hand over it, and true enough he felt no magic. Strange.

“Is he a human?” Aaron had thought it was a beast, and honestly it would make less sense if the figure was a magicless human.

“Don’t know. Figure you’d know more on account of all your training with creatures, family business right,” Andrew said with an air of boredom that betrayed the hurtful truth behind his words.

The cave grew silent.

Before Aaron could speak or even begin to inspect the figure, Andrew kicked it with enough force to send it flying until it’s back hit the cave walls.

It didn’t wake. Aaron waited a moment to see if Andrew would do anything next, and when it became clear that Andrew was satisfied with the figure’s lack of reaction, he walked up to the figure whose body was completely covered by a dark cloak. He lifted one of the figure’s arms and moved the cloak back to reveal a series of spell marks, some of the most complicated marks he’d ever seen. He moved on to the next arm to find the same marks stretching to cover his entire arm, and he’d just begun to pull away more cloak when Andrew’s leg kicked his arm away.

Aaron looked up, “They’re beast marks.”

“Go on.”

“They’re used to keep a magical creature in the form of a human,” Aaron thought for a moment before continuing, “A very strong magical creature.”

“Is he dangerous?” Of course that was Andrew’s only concern, not the fact that they stumbled across an unknown magical beast. It was obvious he only cared about Kevin’s safety and nothing else.

“Well not in this form. The marks prevent him from using his magic, which is probably the reason we couldn’t sense him, but he must be powerful considering what he’s been subconsciously doing to us even without access to his magic. If the spell is broken, he has the potential to be very dangerous if not controlled properly,” Aaron’s mind was already racing with the possibilities, his taming abilities were not exclusive to dragons, most of his learned spells could work on any magical beast. If anything, taming the figure would give him something to work on in the days to come.

“Why is he asleep or better yet, unconscious?”

“It’s probably due to what kind of creature he is, since winter is approaching he could be attempting to hibernate or bromate, but it’s obviously not going to work while he’s in this form. Its magic is what helps it survive the process, without access to it, it’ll keep waking up.” Aaron figured that the hours he heard the voice were when the creature woke up and began feeling hungry or cold. He looked around the cave to see if the creature had any belongings and soon enough found a small bag. He opened it up and brought the light closer to inspect the few objects. He found crumbs of dry meat in a clear pouch and the remainders of freshly eaten fruit. And under a small stack of clothing he found an old wrinkled map. A map with an area circled and a name.

Aaron’s heart skipped a beat.

_Inglaterra._

Andrew’s voice startled him back to the present and he quickly stuffed the map into his back pocket.

“Too much of a risk,” is all Andrew said before crouching down and pulling his human blade out, ready to slash the figure’s neck.

“Andrew, stop! He’s useful!” Aaron ran across the cave in an attempt to stop his twin. He was always too slow.

“Not risking it.”

Andrew sliced the creatures throat.


	3. Blades and Blood

_Listen to me Nathaniel! Don’t you ever leave my side again. Do you hear me? You can’t survive without me; you are too foolish. You’ll get yourself killed, you’ll get me killed. The day you’re left alone is the day you’ll die. Don’t forget that._

Even in death, his mother was right.

He couldn’t survive without her by his side. He was foolish to ever think he could last in this world, being what he was.

Nathaniel felt the blood drip down his neck before he felt the sting of the sharp blade. He was too weak to even open his eyes to see who dealt the final blow on his miserable life. He gurgled pathetically as the life drained out of him. With the spell cast on him, he was unable to bring forth his magic in hopes of healing the fatal wound. Instead, he let the creeping darkness take him away. 

If his attackers were smart enough to figure out who he was, they would collect as much dragon blood as they could carry out. At least his life would have served some purpose then. Didn’t they know dragon blood was liquid gold.

**жжж**

“Dammit Andrew!” Aaron pushed his brother aside and fell to his knees in a frenzied panic. Of course Andrew would slash through vital arteries. He applied pressure to the creature’s slit throat in hopes of stopping the flow of blood while he tried to remember the little medical magic he knew. Abby had taught him a couple of spells when he had shown an interest in her profession, and he decided now was the best time to test them out. But as soon as he began reciting the spells, Andrew pulled him off the dying creature and further towards the mouth of the cave.

“Let it die.”

Aaron was kicking and screaming as he was dragged out and Andrew made sure to put up a barrier that closed off the cave entrance before he let his twin drop to the ground.

“I _hate_ you,” Aaron said after a while of fuming. He stayed on the floor with his fists clenched as if debating whether he could punch Andrew and escape fast enough before his brother could retaliate. It was in this moment that he noticed the creatures blood sinking into his skin before completely disappearing. He lifted his hands to inspect and saw how the damaged skin around his knuckles began to heal, he had gotten into a fight with Seth and even Abby had said he permanently damaged the skin. He grew even angrier at the realization of what he had just lost to Andrew’s unpredictability and rash actions.

Aaron stood up to shove his healed hand in front of Andrew’s face, “He had healing properties you idiot! I could have tamed him and the whole group would have been better off with him around. If not for his magic, then for his blood. The least you could do is go back in there and get some more. I just hope you’re happy knowing you’ve managed to ruin something else for me,” Aaron stared at his brother’s impassive face for a while longer, hoping to say more but in the end he settled for, “I’m going back to sleep.”

He began to climb back down the steep cliff and noticed how Andrew didn’t follow. He didn’t really expect Andrew to go back into the cave and drain the creature’s blood, but he could at least get rid of the body so it wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention or bring any scavengers to their area. In any case, Aaron would finally be able to go back to living normally, without a voice interrupting him every other hour.

He found his tent in no time and stared out into the sky, he still had a couple of hours to sleep before sunrise. He found the tent’s slit and opened it slowly, not wanting to wake up Kevin and Nicky and have them ask any questions as to where he’d been. Unsurprisingly, both were deep sleepers and hadn’t even woken up to notice the twins had gone missing. He took his spot on one end, next to Nicky, but as he began to make himself comfortable he heard the wrinkling of paper.

_The map._

He reached into his back pocket to pull it out and then summoned a small light. Inglaterra. It stood out to him the most, not only because it was circled, but because of his own desire to visit the land. Before Firroth had been killed, Inglaterra was their destination. They were to reach the land before Nathan became the last dragon, find the hidden Draco-nihil clan, and convince them to join forces to kill Nathan; thus, making Firroth the last living dragon. It was a long shot to say the least, but it had given them hope and purpose. It was the only reason he had agreed to join The Foxes, for a chance to meet the Draco-nihils.

The clan stayed well-hidden for what they were, or better yet, what they had been. Dragon’s no more was what their name meant, and that’s exactly what they were. It started with a family of dragons who, given no other chance of survival, created their own spells to turn themselves permanently into humans. They would survive the war, but at a great loss. Their inner dragon would be lost forever, yet they would remain powerful bearers of magic. Their young would not inherit their dragon abilities or form, but at least their culture would continue to exist.

Inglaterra was like Palmetto in the sense that it was a heaven for magical creatures, much of the land was strictly creatures-only and protected them from humans. It made for the safest place the Draco-nihils could call home, especially during the height of the dragon war. He had also heard that many of the magical creatures living anywhere close to the Karasu Empire were migrating towards Inglaterra to start a new life.

Aaron tightened his hold on the map. The creature Andrew had killed was probably following the migration to Inglaterra, in hopes of a better life. He didn’t want to acknowledge the guilt that was slowly tearing into him. He tried to remind himself that the creature would have died anyways because of the spell that was put on him. He wouldn’t have been able to properly hibernate and he would have starved to death. Or froze. Or died of dehydration. Or been attacked by another wild creature. Whatever way Aaron looked at it, there was no way it would have survived the coming winter let alone make it all the way to Inglaterra by itself.

He was about to put the map away when he caught sight of the name written on it.

**Stuart Hatford**

Was that the creature’s name or maybe an acquaintance it knew in Inglaterra? Whoever it was, it didn’t matter anymore. Life would go on. For now, at least.

He went to sleep dreaming of flying on a dead dragon’s back.

\---

He awoke a few hours later to the commotion outside. He noticed that Andrew never came back to the tent at night and wondered if that was the reason for all the noise so early in the morning. Nicky stirred next to him and quickly covered his ears as he tried to get in some more minutes of sleep. Kevin was still out and showed no signs of waking up any time soon. Aaron knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep so he got up and out to check what was going on.

It was the last thing he expected to see.

He took a step back and froze at the sight. Andrew was sitting by the fire eating an early breakfast with Wymack, Abby, and the rest of the older Foxes surrounding him. But it wasn’t Andrew they were staring at, it was the creature from last night, wrapped in a lighter cloak, but very much alive and breathing. Its shoulders were hunched and its eyes darted around the small crowd as if searching for a way out.

“Ah. There he is. Is the tamer finally ready to pick up his charge?” Andrew directed the question to his brother and the foxes momentarily turned their attention to Aaron. Even the creature looked up and did a double take on the twins.

Aaron was left speechless and before he could summon up the strength to ask Andrew how it was possible for the creature to still be alive, Wymack turned to him looking for answers.

“You mind explaining to me why I woke up this morning to an extra mouth to feed? Since Andrew here apparently has no intention of filling me in.”

Aaron had a million questions floating in his head and no answers to give. But he knew one thing. Fate had given him a second chance to rekindle his desire to tame, and he was going to take it regardless of what the other Foxes had to say.

He knew the only one he would actually have to convince was Wymack, considering he was the one leading them, so he asked, “What do you want to know?”

“Well for starters, what’s a human doing out here in Mist Valley by themselves, and why did Andrew think to bring it back to camp? Knowing the midget monster, my understanding was he’d kill any being that walked his way if he was left alone. So why’s this one alive?” Wymack looked back to Andrew with a raised eyebrow, making it clear that he had asked those same questions to his twin but had received no response.

“He’s not human, first of all. He’s covered in beast marks, meaning that someone put a spell on him to keep him in this human form, but underneath the marks, he’s a magical creature. One that I know I can tame,” Aaron waited a while for Wymack and the others to grasp the new information before he continued, “Andrew and I found him dying of starvation among other things, I sensed that he had great magical potential that we could use and told Andrew I would tame him.”

Before he could say another word, Seth stood up and violently threw his breakfast onto the ground, “There’s no fucking way we’re going to allow a beast to travel with us, tamed or untamed, I don’t care. Fucking filthy creatures only know how to destroy, and you’re all stupid to think it’s not going to cause trouble or death if we bring it along. Just kill it, and be done with it.”

The creature flinched at Andrew’s side and slowly pulled the cloaks hood over its head.

Seth’s outburst didn’t surprise Aaron, he knew that even before the Dragon War, there was a split between the way humans perceived magical creatures. On the right side, many saw the powerful creatures as weapons to be controlled and utilized in wars while the weaker creatures were used mainly to serve and live life as slaves. The left side, however, was pushing forward with new laws to grant magical creatures equal rights as they saw them as soulful creatures who deserved freedom from oppression. As with any political view, there were extremist in both sides. Seth was an extremist in his own way, he acknowledged and supported the belief that magical creatures were inferior to humans and their only purpose was to serve humans, as both weapons and slaves, but since he was born in a particularly war-stricken kingdom, he abhorred any and all magical creatures who served to destroy. He lived with a mentality that all magical creatures should be killed so humans could fight wars properly and fair. He had only joined the Foxes in the hopes that they would assist Firroth gain equal footing with Nathan and then pray that they would kill each other, thus ending the war once in for all with no last living dragon.

Seth wanted to live in a world where humans were the only ones capable of magic, but to Aaron, who’s purpose in life was to capture, tame, and train magical creatures, Seth’s way of thinking was beyond him. In fact, their contrasting beliefs were what fueled 99 percent of their fights. The other one percent was strictly because they couldn’t go a day without fighting.

But Aaron knew that Seth would be the only one who would really oppose the creature joining them. Wymack, himself, along with Dan, Matt, Abby, Renee, and even Nicky leaned more towards the left-side of the political spectrum, and would be more than okay with a magical creature joining the Foxes.

“He won’t be dangerous once I tame him. And once I find a spell to break or reverse the beast marks, he’ll prove more than useful with his magic. And at this point, don’t we need all the help we can get. I mean that’s why we’re heading towards Palmetto right, Wymack? You want to rally up an independent army, and Palmetto’s full of magical creatures. You can’t possibly tell me that you’re not planning on asking some of them to join the resistance too.”

Wymack stopped Seth from going on another rant so he could answer Aaron’s question, “Of course I’m planning to ask them too, anyone who is willing to join the resistance is more than welcomed regardless of who or what they are. The difference here is that I am asking them, not forcing them. And the way I see it, you’re forcing the little guy to do something he obviously doesn’t want to do.” Wymack gave the creature a pitying look before sitting down next to Abby.

“Yea, I mean look at the poor thing, he’s trembling,” Matt said as he added more wood to the fire.

“I don’t think it’s because he’s cold, I mean I’d be trembling too if I’d been dragged out of my home by Andrew, he’s probably scared to death right now. Can he even understand what we’re saying?” Dan added as she tried to get closer to the creature, only for it to flinch and actually scoot closer to Andrew.

Andrew stuck two fingers out and, with his magic, pushed the creature farther away from his personal space.

“He understands just fine,” Andrew assured. Aaron could tell his brother was getting bored and would soon leave the conversation and the fire, which meant Aaron would be left with a, for the most part, wild creature.

“Why don’t we ask him if he wants to join us then,” Renee, got up calmly and consciously approached the creature, “Hello, do you have a name?”

The creature immediately tensed up and his eyes grew wider the closer Renee got. Renee took the hint and began to back away but stayed silent, hopeful her question would be answered.

“Oh for fucks sake! This is stupid,” Seth summoned a mass of fire and held it towards the creature, “Back where I’m from, there’s only one right way to get an answer out of these things. You burn it out of them.”

All at once the foxes became a flaming mess. Allison tried to hold Seth back, while Wymack and Matt made a quick effort to tackle him down. Dan amassed a wall of wind as a makeshift protective barrier to shield the creature away from any potential attacks, while Aaron moved to extinguish the magic. And all the meanwhile Andrew sat with a bored expression stuck to his face.

It was at this moment that the creature looked over to Andrew and his relaxed nature, then to the mess of limbs fighting each other, until he finally came to the realization that nothing was stopping him.

He ran.

He ran so fast that it took the rest a moment to comprehend what had happened.

“Andrew! He’s getting away!” Aaron couldn’t believe his brother had just watched him run off without even lifting a finger to stop him.

“I thought I made it clear. He’s yours to deal with, Tamer. He’s your responsibility now.” Andrew got up and walked towards their tent. Nicky had finally decided to wake up but was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“What’s going on you guys?” Nicky asked as his eyes began to widen once he saw the scene in front of him.

Knowing that no one was going to help catch the creature, Aaron set off in search of the runaway. Once he was far enough from the campsite he released several chain snakes to help him search. They would find whoever it was they needed and swiftly bind their legs, hands, (or in some cases wings) until the creature would trip and be trapped. The runaway was fast, but Aaron also knew he was weak; with no proper meal in weeks, he’d tire soon.

He slowed down to a brisk pace when he saw one of the chain snakes return. It led him a couple miles down the valley and Aaron found it hard to believe the creature had gotten so far away in such a short amount of time. The chain snakes had taken the liberty of not only wrapping themselves around its legs and arms but around its chest and thighs. And yet it was still resisting.

“You were so calm with my brother; I don’t know why you’re acting like this now.”

Aaron was surprised to hear it talk back.

“That’s because your brother gave me a choice, and it’s clear to me you’re not going to do the same.”

His voice was raspy like he hadn’t used it in months, which was probably the case considering how far out from civilization he was.

“My brother tried to kill you. In fact, I’m pretty sure he did, I don’t even know how you’re alive right now.”

The creature stubbornly looked away, “That’s beside the point.”

“How—you know what forget it. What did Andrew say to you? What did he promise you?”

It took a while for him to speak again, “He said if I could escape from you, I’d be free and he wouldn’t go after me.”

That was interesting, “And if I caught you?”

The creature closed his eyes and stayed quiet.

In an act that he would never admit to, Aaron decided to show some compassion and reassurance, “You’ll get fed and you’ll have a warm place to sleep. You’ll die if you’re left out here, especially since you can’t go back to your original form to hibernate. You won’t be able to protect yourself from the winter cold.”

The creature bit its lower lip and he stopped fidgeting under the chain snakes, “You don’t even know what I am. Your friend was right. I’m dangerous.”

“And what are you exactly?”

“I won’t live long enough for you to figure that out.”

“We’ll see about that.” Aaron was determined to find more Beast Mark Scrolls in the kingdoms they would be passing through, he was sure that he would be able to find a match for the ones that littered the creature’s body. And once he found the match, everything else would follow, he’d find a way to undo the spell and its true form would be revealed. But until then he knew what he had to do, “Did Andrew tell you what I was?”

There was defiance in his eyes when he said, “A tamer.”

“So you must know what I’m going to do next.”

“I’ll escape. I don’t care how good you think you are; I’ll find a way. I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”

“You can try to escape all you want, I already told you what’s going to happen if you’re alone when winter comes. Plus,” Aaron thought back for a second and remembered the map he found in the creature’s bag, “we seem to be going in the same direction.”

That caught the creature’s attention, he held his breath for a moment before responding, “What do you mean?”

Aaron decided to show him. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the map, unfolding it and bringing it closer to the creature.

“For whatever reason you were heading to Inglaterra right? It’s heaven for magical creatures like you. Problem is only a third of you actually survive the journey. The rest of you die out at sea or never make it past the kingdoms surrounding this area. You get caught and sold or straight out killed. And I can guarantee you’re one of the many who will never get to feel the free soil under their feet, or paws or whatever.” This close to the creature, Aaron could make out its hidden features. It had plain brown eyes and equally plain short black hair. Its tan skin was a clear indicator that it did not belong in this area. But Aaron wasn’t sure how much it’s human form was identical to its real form. Gold would look nice on its body but it would make the creature stand out too much. Silver would be too dull. And this would be, by all accounts, Aaron’s first tame ceremony, so he wanted it to be special in a way. He was raised to believe that the mineral one used for the collar bond was directly related to the nature of the bond the tamed and the tamer would share.

_He’s your responsibility now._

When he was young and surrounded by Dragon Tamers who shared his bloodline, he was forced to learn the meanings behind several abstract concepts and symbols that were connected with the magic of taming in general. One lesson that stuck was the symbolism and meaning behind colors. And there was one particular color that came to mind when he thought of the creature in front of him and the words of his brother.

The color Blue.

His teachers had started on that lesson by stating that, _The color blue is the color of trust and responsibility_ and went on to explain, _This color is one of trust, honesty and loyalty. It is sincere, reserved and quiet, and doesn't like to make a fuss or draw attention. It hates confrontation, and likes to do things in its own way._

He thought of the creature’s nature or what he had seen of it and thought the color fit him well. He also wanted the bond to be one of eventual trust and loyalty.

As he summoned up a myriad of blue gems, he began to call back his chain snakes.

“I’m not like my brother. He wasn’t raised with proper magic and he can’t learn to control it at times. He’s a dangerous monster so it’s best to stay away from him or any other deals he tries to make with you. I’m trained with my magic and I know what I’m doing. I can get you to where you want to go so long as you allow me this. I want to tame you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m taking away your freedom. It just means that as long as I have this bond with you, I have access to your power and at times I will be able to control it. But once we reach Inglaterra we can both agree to be released from the bond.” Aaron settled on three gems: Sapphire, Lapis lazuli, and a blue opal gemstone.

The creature sat up crossed legged once he was free from the snakes. Aaron noted how he didn’t run. He pulled the cloak sleeves to reveal the beast marks and began to study them for a while before he said in a quiet voice, “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“I’m willing to give it a shot and save your life.”

“Don’t try to act like you’re doing this for my benefit. You, just like any other tamer, are just greedy for more power. You’ll end up destroying yourself.”

Aaron ignored his observation and instead summoned up the chains of bond.

“Do you really have any other choice?”

“I could die. I don’t think I mind it so much considering what else is in store for me.”

“At least try to stay alive while this bond is intact,” he sent the chains to hang around the creature’s neck and to tie his wrists and ankles together, “Now you can tell me what your name is or I can give you a new name.”

The creature looked down to the shinning chains wrapping themselves into endless patterns on his skin and he saw how they connected him to Aaron before he responded, “Neil.”

When the name was said the blue opal gemstone chose itself and formed a collar around Neil’s neck. Once the collar was set, the chain of bond followed and entered a white ring that was located in the front center of the collar. Two narrow black bands appeared on Neil’s wrists before disappearing.

Aaron was taught that once the chain of bonds was finished bonding with the creature that was to be tamed, it would return to the tamer and a surge of power would rush in. The stronger the creature’s magic, the stronger the surge. What he was not prepared for was the pain that exploded across his body once the chain returned. He groaned before falling face flat onto the creature’s lap.

He couldn’t move because the surge of power was too great. Aaron had always prided himself in knowing that he possessed more magic than most but this…this was unheard of.

He calmed his breathing in time to hear Neil speak, “I should tear you apart and run out of here for what you just did to me.”

Aaron couldn’t even manage a shiver despite the cold words. He wasn’t afraid though, once a bond was formed, the creature could never intentionally hurt their tamer, they would be stopped by the chains. So he closed his eyes and waited until one of the others found them. He knew the creature was also experiencing a shift in power, in his case, it was a loss that should leave him feeling weak. So he settled in the creature’s lap and at some point he felt himself slip into unconsciousness.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Don’t worry it will be explained later how Neil managed to survive getting his throat slit. I know a lot of this is in Aaron’s pov, but later on it’ll be mostly Andrew and Neil since they are the main ones for this story. I just wanted to make a fic where Aaron and Neil interact in different ways and how that would affect Andrew and his relationship with Neil.  
> Also I used a quote from www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com for the teachings on the color blue, so all credits go to them and their awesome site.
> 
> Also thank you so much for the Kudos and especially the comments, they make my day!


	4. Golden Heart Meets Golden Blood

It wasn’t until the light from the setting sun began to dwindle and the fire of the burning wood began to grow brighter that Andrew figured he had allowed too much time to pass.

“It’s getting dark, Andrew.” Nicky squatted next to the campfire as he held his hands outwards towards the warmth. The flames grew and surrounded the tips of his fingers.

“Yes Nicky, I too possess the ability to see.”

“You know what I mean. Aren’t you worried? Aaron’s been gone all day; it shouldn’t take him this long to find the creature.” Nicky stood up and stared off into the direction the two had disappeared into.

The Foxes had used the day to hunt and restock on supplies. They had found, caught, and killed a number of wild birds, lizards, rabbits, and even the occasional bat hidden in the dark caves spread around their location. Abby, in the meantime, collected all the medicinal herbs she could identify and made a note of new ones she’d never seen. Renee did the same, but her focus was less on medicinal herbs and more on herbs to help with her potions and spells. Apparently, Mist Valley was abundant in all areas; the only reasons it was not frequented by humans was because of the feral creatures it housed at night, the ones equipped with claws and magic.

However, now that the supplies were collected, the Foxes had decided to use the remainder of the day talking about strategy and what to expect in the coming months.

Andrew was just finishing off his last rabbit leg when the creature’s voice appeared in his mind.

_You said you could hear me…yesterday in the cave._

That got Andrew’s attention.

_I don’t think I can you hear you back. But that doesn’t matter right now. Come get us. Your brother won’t wake up and I’m about to go into one of my slumbers. I can’t do anything in this state, he drained me._

Andrew was up in the next second and running towards the direction Aaron had run off to. Two short, sleeping, defenseless men in the middle of Mist Valley was enough to draw a blood thirsty crowd of wild creatures in no time. He tried to talk back to the voice in his head asking for a general description of where they were but no response came back. Either the creature couldn’t hear Andrew just like it assumed or it was already knocked out. Both situations were not ideal for him.  

Now more than ever, did Andrew curse his lack of magical training. He couldn’t summon up and send out magical trackers like his brother could, he couldn’t communicate and control the minds of animals like Kevin could and send them out to search for the two lost idiots, he couldn’t manipulate the wind and use it to fly above and scout the area like Dan could, hell he couldn’t even heal them quickly enough if he found them injured like Abby could.

His complete lack of magical training in the crucial years of his youth left him with bursts of uncontrollable magic. And more often than not, it led to destruction. The Foxes had joked around some nights saying Andrew’s true magical specializations were death and destruction, he just wouldn’t admit to it.

In those instances, Andrew wouldn’t bother with a response. In secrecy, he would train; however, he could still only control bits of his magic, enough to move objects or create a barrier. Nothing he thought of as useful at the moment.

He stopped for a moment and looked back to the camp wondering if he should run back and drag one of them with him. But Andrew was never one to ask for help.

_We’re a couple miles down the valley, just keep going straight. We’re not on any cliffs, I just dragged us to a shaded area. There’s a large weeping willow besides us, you can’t miss it. Well maybe you can, I don’t know how stupid you are._

Oh there he was again, still awake and with enough energy to question Andrew’s intelligence.

He continued running until he saw the sweeping canopy of light green leaves on the willow tree. And in the next second, mist.

The thickest mist he could ever remember seeing swallowed the area. He could feel his clothes dampen as he closed the distance to where he was sure the weeping willow was rooted.

“Aaron! Where are you?” He tripped two times before his hand caught onto one of the tree’s branches. Then he stayed silent as he waited for a response.

What he heard instead was the buzzing of small wings, squeaking and humming. He thought for a moment that they might be fae, but those creatures would never willingly get close to a human. Then that left winged pixies, annoying and mischievous pranksters, but harmless for the most part. It calmed him down enough to call out his brother’s name again until he heard two distinct and hostile roars. One he identified as a Wendigo, a half beast, half phantom that was native to the valley lands. The other, a Empusae, a creature capable of human form with a love for devouring all things living.

With the ghost-grey mist blocking his sight, he relied heavily on his hearing to help him figure out the situation. The two creatures alternated between screeching and roaring at each other and Andrew had a sneaking suspicion they were fighting over who got to eat his fool of a brother. When the inevitable fighting began, Andrew pulled out the only blade he had on him. He held it tight in case one of the creatures came near him and cursed the mist as he blindly made his way around the weeping willow. He knew Mist Valley was named for this exact deadly vapor, but he wished it would vanish long enough for him to locate the two idiots. Immediately after the thought crossed his mind, his blade began to glow red and all around him the mist vanished. And in the clearing he saw the creature from the cave cradling Aaron’s head in his lap. Its own head was slowly falling back as it struggled to keep awake. There were several winged pixie surrounding the creature, some pulling at his ears, others squishing his cheeks apart, but none were doing any actual harm. He ran towards them and quickly pulled Aaron to his side. If he could only save one of them, there was no doubt it would be his brother. The creature looked up to him in a silent plea before he fell back and succumbed to sleep.  

Andrew, in any other occasion, would leave the creature to die just as he had the night before. The only difference between last night and this one was that a deal had been made. And Andrew never broke his deals.

He gathered his magic and tried to concentrate long enough to create a shield surrounding the creature. The pixies moved away from the sudden magic laced barrier and into the mist. It wouldn’t protect him for long, not with Andrew’s uncontrollable magic being the energy behind the shield, but it should hold off long enough for Andrew to take Aaron somewhere safe and come back for him.

He saw the mist returning and pulled out his blade again, hoping for a repeat of whatever had happened. Sure enough the mist cleared out and he made his way out with Aaron thrown over his shoulder. He ran far away to an area where the mist did not reach and deposited his brother in a small cave opening before blocking the entrance with another protective shield.

However, when he made his way back to the mist, he felt the crumbling of his energy and knew the Empusae or the Wendigo had destroyed his magical shield. He heard the triumphant roar of the Empusae and knew it was too late.

That is, until he saw the sky part. A strong gust of wind pushed through and out came a golden griffin. It’s two set of feathered wings swiftly swept away any remaining traces of mist as it landed gracefully atop the highest branch of the willow tree. Its lion roar shook the drooping leaves off the willow and created tremors in the earth.

The Wendigo took off running, its phantom form taking over before disappearing into the valley cliffs, and the winged pixies surrounded themselves in a light dust before vanishing. The Empusae decided to ignore the clear warning and instead let out its own roar as it held its prize securely to its chest.

“Release the Kulaja or death shall find you,” the griffin warned to the Empusae before he flew down to where Andrew was standing.

He had never seen a griffin, let alone have one stand so close to him. Its golden feathers shimmered even in the dark and its eyes caught his.

“You are not a threat, but an ally?” It asked him.

“I am not a threat,” Andrew repeated.

“Good, then stand behind me.”

Andrew went to stand behind the mythological creature and before he could figure out what it planned to do, the griffin wrapped its tail around Andrew’s chest and flew off with him. Andrew held on tightly as the griffin flew through the sky and up onto the highest cliff surrounding the valley.

“Stay here,” was all the creature said before unwrapping him and flying back down. Andrew swallowed the sudden fear that came over him at the realization of how far up he was, and walked to the cliffs edge to watch the scene unfold.

As the griffin gained momentum flying downwards, it used its front talons and its back claws to tear the Empusae apart. Then with its razor sharp beak it tore its head off before grabbing the cave creature with its tail, the same way it had done with Andrew. A thick miasma escaped the corpse as the griffin flew back up towards Andrew.

Andrew didn’t know much about griffins, but he knew there was something off about this situation. He didn’t understand why it had gone out of its way to save the hooded creature or why it didn’t care to kill Andrew like it had the Empusae.

He paid close attention as the griffin gently released the creature onto the ground. With its beak, it poked around and moved its cloak to inspect the beast markings before coming to its neck. It growled violently as it picked at some invisible collar around the creature’s neck.

“He’s chained?”

The last thing Andrew wanted to deal with was an angry griffin, especially after he witnessed firsthand what it was capable of doing. His mind raced back to Aaron and what he had been doing before the two lost consciousness. He made sure to concentrate back to where he had stowed Aaron away and applied all his magic to strengthen the protective barrier around his brother, before he answered.

“Yes, he is chained to a tamer, but I can assure you he is in good hands.”

The griffin continued to pull on the invisible collar before a chain appeared, one that trailed down the cliff and surely to Aaron.

“You expect me to trust a human? Do you know what heinous crimes you humans are capable of?”

“I know very well. Some humans commit the atrocities and others are subject to them,” he paused for a second knowing the griffin could kill him and his brother if he said the wrong words, “You are a griffin, a regal creature who commands deep respect, which you have rightly earned. You are also wise and so I ask you to look past what I am and see who I am. I am not someone who would deceive you.”

The griffin slowly made its way towards him before stopping once its beak had reached Andrew’s chest.

“You have gold in your heart but the one at the other end of the chain has greed. I will entrust Kulaja to you instead. That chain will break once you and Kulaja connect. I do not wish to see it around his neck,” The griffin lifted his head to hold Andrew’s stare before it continued to speak, “You have doubts that you are not strong enough to protect, but your heart beats with more magic blood than most. I will gift you with what you need, in return you will protect Kulaja with your life.”

A white sphere appeared and entered Andrew’s chest, he felt lightheaded for a moment before he felt calmness.

After a moment of blissful silence, he asked, “He’s not a regular creature is he?”

“No. He is divine. But he will soon be the last of his kind. I cannot protect him while those marks cover his magic. His connection is severed.” The griffin’s tail extended and once again wrapped the creature and brought it to its back.

“How were you able to find him then?”

“His divine power, when needed, transcends magic. He called out to me in his last moments before his slumber overcame him.” Once the creature was securely fixed on its back, its tail went for Andrew.

“You know what he is? Will you tell me?” Andrew let the griffin pull him onto its back and he grabbed the hooded creature to make sure they would not fall off.

“It is not my place to do so,” the griffin responded before it took off and landed by the small cave where Aaron slept. The griffin growled when Andrew tried to take the creature off its back.

“Just bring the tamer over, I will fly you to your camp.”

Andrew thought that was a much better method of getting back then simply dragging the two idiots miles back, but he had to wonder, “Can I trust you not to eat him?”

The griffin blew air at him for his remark, but keep its beak closed as Andrew lifted his twin onto the griffin and off they flew.

“Gemini, do not confuse your fates,” was the last thing the griffin said to him before they landed. Of course with the burst of sudden air the tents went flying and its inhabitants came rushing out. Nicky was the first to scream and Wymack was quick to pull Abby behind him as he walked closer to the golden creature.

Andrew calmly got off and pulled down his charges, he pushed his brother towards Nicky and kept hold of the hooded creature. The griffin gave him one last silent warning before it took off, ripping into the dark night sky. _I will be watching you, golden heart._  

“An explanation right now, Minyard!” Wymack ordered as soon as the griffin disappeared.

He left him with a “Too tired,” before dragging the unconscious creature into the only tent that was heavy enough not to be blown away.

Kevin caught up to him just to stupidly state, “That was a griffin, Andrew.”

Andrew ignored him and began to throw some blankets together in a corner before dropping the creature onto it.

“Nicky told me you found him in a cave? Do you know how dangerous that is? Why did you bring him back, you don’t even know what it is? And then you go missing for hours and come back riding a griffin with both Aaron and the creature unconscious. Do you understand just how reckless–” Without thinking, Andrew had sealed Kevin’s mouth shut with his magic. It was a trick he knew he could do, but other times it required him to concentrate the little controllable magic he had. He felt the white sphere inside of him for a moment before it disappeared again. _Interesting,_ he thought.

“Bring Nicky inside and then I might consider undoing the seal on your mouth”

Kevin huffed through his nose before leaving the tent and returning with Nicky and Aaron. Nicky gently placed Aaron on his side of the tent and went towards Andrew, “Are they okay?”

“They’re fine, now place a warmth spell on him.”

Nicky, for once, did what he was told and did not question the reason for warming up the creature. When he saw the creature relax into the heat, Andrew made his way towards his own makeshift bed and unsealed Kevin’s mouth.

“If anyone of you asks one more question I’ll seal all of your mouths for the foreseeable future.”

The tent and its inhabitants stayed quiet, but outside was another story. He could hear Dan and Wymack arguing with Seth and Allison, but it was easy to drown their voices out.

He laid awake with all the new questions the night presented him with. He pulled out his blade to inspect it, turning it around and around. It was a regular human blade, so it should only be capable of doing regular blade things like cut, tear, and stab. Not glow red and listen in to his desires and grant him what he wanted. _Light up again_ , he thought and the blade began to emit its strange blood glow. In the light he could see the creature’s chest move up and down. Aaron had mentioned that the creature’s blood had healing properties, but Andrew guessed its blood had much more uses than he could imagine. He had used the human blade to slit the creature’s throat and it had soaked in its blood for some time. It had given his ordinary blade magical properties.

He thought back to the moment he decided to go back into the cave. Aaron had just left and his parting words had left a bitter taste in Andrew’s mouth. He knew Aaron was right, they could use the healing blood for the battles to come, so he had emptied his drinking flask and removed the barrier blocking the caves entrance. What he had seen upon entering was unexplainable.

Andrew made sure that Kevin and Nicky were fast asleep before he got up and made his way to the creature. He flipped him onto his stomach before pulling his plain black hair away from his neck. Last night, he had seen a flash of white light escape from the creature’s nape. The light had acted like its own entity as it raced around the cave collecting the blood pouring from the creature’s neck, gathering it all, reentering it into the blood stream, and then, finally closing up the wound, leaving behind a faint scar. The light had then turned dark before it returned to its nape.  

As Andrew now inspected the creature’s nape, he realized there were three small circles in a singular line: two were filled in black and only one remained white. He committed the symbology to memory before pulling back the cloak and taking a mental picture of the beast marks. When they stopped by the local kingdoms, he would make sure to pick up some texts on signs, marks, and symbols. The puzzle of what the creature was would give him something interesting to focus on for the coming days.

The griffin had given some obscure hints, like how he was soon to be the last of his kind. But that was true about a number of magical creatures, especially after centuries of war and destruction. Many were expected to go extinct in the next couple of years, so the clue didn’t narrow down his search that much.

 _Kulaja._ The griffin had called him Kulaja. Andrew searched his memory for any previous mention of that name or its meaning but came up short.

Just then, he heard Renee call from outside his tent. “Andrew? Are you awake?” She asked in a gentle voice, low enough not to wake the others.

Trust Renee to always sense a restless soul.

He left the comfort of the tent to join her around the fire. Renee had limitless secretive knowledge that Andrew could use right now so he wasn’t particularly bothered by her presence. “Does the name Kulaja mean anything to you?”

Renee looked into the fire, her eyes focused on the occasional sparks that popped out of the wood, “It’s Sanskrit and it means ‘Well Born’ or ‘Of a Noble Family,’ but it’s a name rarely said these days, meant for truly those of a higher or divine family.”

So the griffin had given him two clues to work with. The creature was destined to be a lone survivor of a noble family of magical creatures. And to think Andrew had slit his throat without a second thought. He would have contributed to the extinction of a species if the strange light had not revived the creature.  

In his silence, Renee kindly stated, “Wymack and Dan have a lot of questions for you.”

“Tell them I have no answers.”

“Do you have an answer for me?”

He shrugged, “Depends.”

“I’ll try my luck then,” Her hand went to the pendant she wore around her neck, a pendant that symbolized the White Magic oath she took years before joining the Foxes. “I sense something strange in him, he’s not in the darkness, but he has the potential to be. I trust you to take care of your lot, but I couldn’t help but worry about my own and what his presence would bring. But today I saw something I thought I would never have a chance to see in my life. A griffin is not a creature that would appear out of nowhere and with no explanation. In their rare appearances, they come as representors of justice and all things good. They are kings where magical creatures are concerned, and for one to show up here and escort you back to the camp, I have to ask, did it come for the creature that now sleeps in your tent?”

Andrew closed his eyes for a second wondering if he should answer. He thought back to the moment he realized he was too slow to protect the creature, “It saved him when I couldn’t.”

“The griffin saved the creature? From what exactly?”

“An Empusae and a Wendigo. The Empusae was killed, I’m sure its remains are still out there if you want to go and collect them for your potions.”

“A Griffin killed a creature without a trial?” Renee mumbled as she bunched her eyebrows in concern, “The rules are changing.”

“What do you mean?” Andrew knew that with the Dragon’s War coming to an end and a new war rising over the horizon, things were bound to change. He just wasn’t sure what that entailed.

Renee’s pendant seeped light and she closed her hand around it before responding, “I’m not sure myself, but I can feel the energy around the fates changing. Something big is about to happen and I’m not sure it’s just the end of a century old battle.” The light from the jewel surrounded her and Andrew knew she was preparing to teleport, “For now, I think I’ll take you up on that offer and go fetch the Empusae’s remains. Thank you for your time Andrew, and good night.”

And then she was gone.

Andrew let himself get lost in the fire until its warmth was not enough and he returned to the tent.

жжж

Nathaniel nuzzled into his mother’s warmth knowing she would allow it. That of the many dragon instincts she deprived him of, this one she tolerated. Because she knew the importance of heat and warmth to a dragon. He snuggled closer to her chest to hear her heartbeat and relaxed into it. As long as she was alive, he was safe.

Of course he knew he was dreaming. He had seen her ripped apart by the jaws of his own father. A testament to what a true, fully grown dragon could do. She was dead and he was soon to follow.

The pain of hunger was what finally woke him out of his slumber. He tried to remember the last time he had eaten or even had anything to drink, but his mind was a painful and jumbled mess. He remembered some things like the magical collar around his neck and the chain connecting him both physically and mentally to a tamer. Although right now he couldn’t tell the sleeping twins apart. He pulled the chain and one of the twins twitched, so that one was Aaron. He looked at the other twin. That one was dangerous.

He remembered the night in the cave when he got caught. Remembered closing his eyes feeling the life and blood flow out of him and then he saw her. Mary in a form she had never let him see when she was alive. _Mary, Protector of Life and Daughter of Freedom_ was the epithet she had earned before the war broke out and it was a name she held proudly the days of her youth when she was a wild dragon. In this form, she was elegant, wore her emerald scales like a tight cloak, and was the size of a small castle.

_Once. Twice. But not yet. I will not allow you to enter the next. Your time is not yet come child._

She had lowered her long neck until her nostril touched his forehead and breathed into him life again. He remembered this was not the first time he had died and been revived.

He had woken up to a brightening white then a fading black light, and squatted in front of him had been the dangerous twin, playing with his blade, the same one that had slit his throat just minutes ago.

He remembered his words, _“Looks like you’re a little more magical than you want to appear, even with the spell marks on you. I wonder what makes the magic seep out of you?”_ Nathaniel had backed away from him and stayed quiet, until the next words had left the twin’s mouth, _“Whatever it is, it’s interesting enough to keep me entertained for a while and my brother needs the practice, so how about I make a deal with you?”_ The human had put down his blade and continued, _“_ _One. I could kill you here and now, I’ll slit your throat over and over again until you can’t heal properly anymore, I’ll drain you of your blood and be done with you. Or two. You come with me willingly and we’ll provide you with food, water, and warmth spells. Seeing as that’s what you crave the most._ ”

Nathaniel had considered picking up the neglected blade and killing the human instead of picking one of the given options, he knew he was fast enough even in this condition, but he also knew the human was strong enough to wrestle it away from him. He wanted, no, he needed the food, water, and warmth the human was offering and somewhere deep inside him, his mother’s voice resounded, _You’ll never survive alone._

Finally, he had let out a defeated sigh and mumbled, _“In exchange for what?”_

_“You allow yourself to be tamed.”_

Now as he sat awake in the tent, with the rose-pink light of dawn behind him, and four sleeping and unsuspecting humans in front of him, he wondered if he had made the right decision. He let out an angry huff, he had gone and gotten himself tamed so he had already held up his side of the deal, but where was the promised food and water? As he got up, he swayed and felt strange. He realized in white panic that on top of the beast marks keeping his magic locked up, now his inner dragon was also chained up and tied to a tamer. The strange feeling in the pit of his soul could only mean his inner dragon was more displeased than usual and it left a warning _: keep suppressing me and I’ll be left with no choice but to tear my way out._

In theory, he was one with his dragon, but being in this form stripped him from his creature-based instincts and powers, so in a sense, he was more human than dragon right now. In fact, he had grown up human, from the moment he was born his mother decided he would not live as a dragon. There wasn’t a day that passed by where he didn’t wonder how his dragon form looked like, he hoped for emerald scales and brown eyes like his mother. He had her plain black hair and brown eyes in his human form so why wouldn’t he have her characteristics in his dragon form.

Another grumble of his stomach and he was out of the tent and in search of food. None of the other loud humans he had seen yesterday were up yet so it was a perfect time to find where they kept their supplies and food storage. There were four tents large enough to house multiple humans and one smaller tent off to the side. He entered the small tent and immediately found what he was looking for. The rabbits were freshly skinned, the wild birds were plucked, and the bats and lizards looked to be thoroughly cooked. Scattered around the ground were jugs of fresh water and Nathaniel went for those first. He finished three jugs before he got to the meat. Two rabbits, five wild birds, three bats, and seven lizards he devoured before sunrise. Even then he was still hungry and went in search for something sweet. Hidden behind a stack of firewood was a basket of all sorts of colorful fruit and he started at the most familiar, a juicy mango.

He was in the middle of his second orange when one of the humans snuck up on him and tackled him to the ground. He saw the world flip outside down as the jugs melted and reformed themselves into shackles that tied him down. The rabbits and birds, in their nakedness, came to life and began attacking him. He struggled to free himself but every time he tried to move, another heavy stack of firewood would appear and crush his chest. The birds pecked at his eyes, while the lizards and bats bit into him leaving poisonous marks across his exposed skin. He tried to scream but he couldn’t find any air in his lungs.

He had absolutely no idea what was going on or what the human had done to him, but he knew if he didn’t make it stop, he would lose his last breath and join his mother once more.

Nathaniel tried to focus and found two connections in his mind, one for each twin. He sent a mental message to both of them.

_…in storage tent…human…killing me…_

It took less than a minute for one of the twins to reach the storage room. He felt the illusion fade away and reality make a reappearance as he struggled to take in a breath. His lungs burned, his heart raced, and his dragon roared inside of him with the desire to tear the human apart.

When he finally opened his eyes it was to see one of the twins, Andrew, repeatedly smash his fist into another human. The commotion drew all the others to the storage tent in no time.

“Get off of him you fucking monster!” The blonde female shrieked as she threw herself onto of the fighting men.

In the end, it took the humans Matt, Renee, Wymack, and Dan to tear Andrew off of the human, who he now remembered was called Seth. “Next time, I’ll do more than just destroy your face if so much as think of touching my things again.”

Seth cleaned the blood pouring out of his nose with his arm before snarling back at Andrew, “That fucking filthy creature was stealing our food when I caught him, you think I wasn’t going to do anything about it? It’s only right I kill it and use its meat to replace the rations it devoured.”

It was at that moment that the others from Andrew’s tent arrived. Wymack, Nathaniel was guessing he was the one in charge, dragged Aaron to the front and announced a list of all the supplies that were now gone.

“I only agreed to allow you to keep him here because you said you would tame him. That agreement included controlling him and keeping him out of trouble. I told you he was your responsibility. Attracting Griffins and depleting our provisions was not part of the deal.” Wymack's lecture was meant for Aaron but he kept his eyes on Andrew.

 _‘Attracting Griffins’?_ Nathaniel thought back to last night’s events and was surprised to know that his inner dragon had made a call out to another regal creature for help. He had been out of it and so drained that he couldn’t remember how they made it out safely.

He turned his attention back to Aaron, who was quick to defend his taming abilities, “He is tamed, last night the bond was formed between us, I just lost consciousness for a while so I couldn’t watch out for him. But I promise it won’t happen again, he’ll stay in my line of sight. I’ll take responsibility for the missing rations and hunt out today.”

Nathaniel stood awkwardly to the side. Andrew had promised him food and water so he wasn’t going to apologize for the theft, and if they decided to kick him out, then he’d be more than happy to leave. He had contemplated running away again after having his fill, but he knew the magical chain wouldn’t allow too much distance between him and Aaron.

“And if he continues this wild behavior?” Allison challenged.

“He won’t–” Aaron began before Andrew interrupted him.

“He’s worth more than all the food rations he could eat. A damn Griffin showed up for his sake. He’s not a normal creature, and you would all benefit from him staying here, so how about you all do yourselves a favor and shut the fuck up.” Andrew was about to leave but Seth just had to make one more stupid remark.

“The only way he’ll be useful is dead.”

In a flash of movements, Andrew had picked up a hunting blade and slashed Seth across the chest. Before anyone could stop him he had also crossed the room to Nathaniel and pulled out his own blade. He looked at Nathaniel with a question in his eyes, and knowing what he was about to show the others, Nathaniel nodded and allowed Andrew to make a small cut on the palm of his hands. He then picked up a cloth lying around and wrapped his bleeding palm with it, before tossing it to Allison who was trying to stop the blood from pouring out of Seth.

“What the hell is wrong with you! What am I supposed to do with this?” Allison looked about ready to fight Andrew herself until Abby, who had rushed to Seth when the sudden attack had happened, grabbed the cloth and looked at it with wide eyes. She wrung the cloth above Seth’s chest before a single drop of Nathaniel’s blood fell. The single drop spread across the open wound and in the blink of an eye, the wound healed. Even old scars scattered around his chest began to disappear.

The entire room went silent and with a pointed look to his twin, Andrew left the tent.

Abby, who Nathaniel guessed was a healer, pulled Wymack outside and began to talk in rushed whispers. As for the rest of the Foxes, they all remained shocked and silent, until Dan walked up to him and announced with a grin, “Welcome to The Foxes, um...”

“Neil,” he provided, “My name is Neil.” Nathaniel never liked his name to begin with, carrying Nathan in his name did little for him, so he’d just keep the ‘niel’ part.  

He didn’t mind the sudden change in atmosphere, he knew his dragon blood was desirable, what he was bothered by, or better yet, _who_ he was bothered by was the girl with pastel hair. There was only one thing that could kill a dragon in its natural form, besides another dragon. And that was someone versed in the Black Arts. And right now Nathaniel and his inner dragon were in front of one in their weakest form.

“Oh my, I knew you were going to be special.” The girl, Renee, had picked up the bloody cloth from the ground, pocketed it, and disappeared.

Nathaniel felt sick and pulled at the invisible chain connecting him to Aaron, “I want to join you on your hunt.”

“I don’t think you have a choice,” Aaron responded pointing to the chain.

As the two left the tent, he passed by one of the ‘Foxes’ who had been sleeping in the same tent. He looked familiar and familiar, in Neil’s experience, was never a good thing.

“Who’s the tall one following Andrew?”

“You mean Kevin? Him and Andrew have a deal, that’s all you need to know.” Aaron retorted.

 _Kevin._ Neil didn’t know what left him first, the blood in his face or the breath in his lungs. _What was Day’s only child doing here?_

Suddenly, the collar around his neck felt less like weightless magic and more like an anchor, and he was soon to be dropped into an ocean of his worst fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The spell marks that Mary put on Neil from birth also hide his true eye and hair color so as to make him appear more like her and less like Nathan, so poor Neil doesn’t even know he actually looks like his father without the spell on him.  
> Also Seth’s magic specialization is in Subjective Reality/ Illusion magic which allows him to manipulate the boundary between Fantasy and Reality. Each will have their own specialization and some may even have more than one, so most will be revealed in later chapters.  
> Thank you for all your comments and kudos and just in case any of you want to ask me something or motivate me to update more often (lol) my tumblr is niel-and-luhan-are-adorable. Thank you for taking the time to read this!


	5. Half Truths and Full Spheres

_You only want to catch me so you can eat me._

_Well yeah, that’s kind of the point. So, if you could just stop running, I would appreciate it._

Neil knew squatting next to a bolder and conversing with wild rabbits was not what Aaron would call ‘hunting’, but with his magical powers locked away and his mother gone, Neil was clueless in regards to catching wildlife. He had stuck to fruits and vegetables since he was left on his own. He would occasionally come across old or injured animals who would offer themselves to him in exchange for a painless death, but he could never bring himself to kill a healthy and unwilling creature. Being a dragon meant he could communicate with just about any living being, be it humans, magical creatures, or animals. Neil couldn’t help but find it difficult to kill an animal who begged for its life. His mother used to shake her head and do the killing while she scolded him on being ‘too soft’. But Neil wasn’t soft, he just wasn’t cruel. He had killed and he’d kill again as long as his opponent could defend themselves.

But this little rabbit couldn’t protect itself and Neil had enough control over his inner dragon to not allow a natural killer instinct to cloud his mind, so he gave up on trying to convince the wild rabbit to allow itself to be killed.

Instead he asked, _do you know of any animal around here who might not want to live anymore?_

There was silence until the rabbit stuck its head out hesitantly and replied, _there’s a fox…she was hurt yesterday and is in a lot of pain, but I’m not sure she wants to go yet._

_Can you take me to her?_

Neil had never eaten a fox before, but maybe the humans had. This whole ‘hunting’ trip was so he could replenish the food he had eaten in the morning and he was sure a fox would count for two or three rabbits. Aaron wasn’t too far way and was preoccupied with using his chain snakes to hunt, so Neil didn’t think he would even notice him missing for a couple of minutes. The rabbit led him to a den nearby where Neil could see a steady track of blood going in.

 _Don’t hurt her unless she says so,_ the rabbit warned.

Neil crawled into the tight space and immediately saw why the fox was still fighting for its life. Its hind leg was torn apart from an apparent snare trap one of the humans must have left out and the area around it was becoming infected. Yet it endured the agony and stretched out so its pups could suckle on her breasts.

The fox lifted its head with the little energy it had and pleaded, _I do not wish to die. But if I do, please do not hurt my pups. They are defenseless without me._

Neil looked away, not wanting to remember his own mothers last words. When he looked back he saw one of the pups curl into her neck and sleep. Nothing could justify taking their mother away. The humans could do without some meat; her life was not worth their full bellies.

_It is not your time to die, especially when others need you. Let me help you._

Neil bit into his thumb and allowed a drop of his blood to fall into the fox’s wound. On contact the wound began to heal and the fox relaxed into her pups.

_Thank you._

The wild rabbit stood back in awe of what Neil had done and nudged him outside the den.

_You are not human nor a regular creature? You are magical, but you hide it? Are you afraid? You can stay with us; we will protect you._

Neil almost smiled as the rabbit ran around him, _I would love to, but I got myself chained to a human._

The rabbit stopped in its track at the mention of a chain, _That’s horrible. Humans are selfish and only know how to destroy. Is that why you are hunting? Your human is making you hunt? Does it have to be meat? There are plenty of berry bushes and fruit tress hidden, I can show you._

Neil had eaten into the fruit rations too, so he imagined the humans would be content if he brought back some natural sweets. He followed the rabbit into a crevice that split the cliffs leading into a new narrow passage, and then further down until he reached a secluded verdant area covered with berry bushes and fruit trees. As Neil gathered strawberries, blueberries, apples, oranges, and some strange fruit he’d never seen before into a sack Aaron had given him, several animals of various species approached him asking him to heal their injuries. Neil gave a pointed look at the blabbermouth rabbit, but agreed to help heal as many animals as he could.

He was beginning to feel lightheaded from the deliberate blood loss when he felt a tug on the invisible chain and turned around to find a furious Aaron standing behind him. The deer he was attending to took off at the sight of Aaron’s chain snakes and the fresh kills they carried.

“I leave you alone to hunt and instead you’re out here healing the animals you should be killing?”

Neil bent down to tie his overflowing sack of sweets before responding, “You humans can eat more than meat. They led me to all these fruits and berries in exchange for some healing, I’d call that a fair trade-off.”

“A fair trade—wait you can communicate with them?”

Neil nodded before he began to make his way back to the human’s campsite. He heard Aaron mumble something along the lines of “Great, you’ll get along with Kevin.”

So, Kevin’s specialization was animal communication, but was that all? “Can Kevin also control animals?”

“Yea…well he doesn’t really do it anymore, not in front of us at least, something about an accident? He talks to them all the time though.”

Neil wasn’t surprised to hear Kevin inherited Kayleigh Day’s power of Zoolingualism and animal manipulation, although he was curious about what kind of an ‘accident’ could cause him to stop practicing his control over animals.

“Do you know if he can control magical creatures too?” Neil wanted to know what he was dealing with especially after knowing the extent of Kayleigh’s power.

“Why don’t you ask him? I don’t talk to the guy. Andrew’s territorial when it comes to his things.”

“His things?”

“Never mind, just keep walking.”

When they arrived at the campsite, most of the humans were gathered around a fire. Neil tried remembering their names, he knew Matt was the giant and Dan was always besides him, there was the other one who had been sleeping in Aaron’s tent, Nicky? Then there was Allison, the tall blond who protected his attacker this morning. And sitting next to her was Renee, the pastel-haired girl whose dark vibes didn’t match her cheerful personality. Neil tried following Aaron into the storage tent until Wymack, the leader of the humans, told him it might be best if he stayed away from the rations after this morning’s incident.

He stood awkwardly outside until one of the humans called him over to the fire.

“Hey there little buddy, come sit down over here. You must be tired and you don’t have much time to rest since we’re packing up and leaving soon.” It was Matt who spoke as he patted down an empty tree trunk next to him.

Dragon’s had an innate distrust in humans that began long before the Dragon War. It was simple: Humans could not be trusted. Century after century, humans multiplied as magical creatures dwindled. They were this world’s deadliest plague, and they hid behind a smile.

The problem was Mary had raised Neil as a human all his life. _It’s for you own safety, dragons can’t survive in this human infested world,_ Mary would always remind him whenever he felt a sudden urge to let his inner dragon escape. He’d grown up trapped in a human body, taught human mannerisms, participated in human culture, but he knew deep down he’d never properly fit in. Even without the beast marks covering his skin, he naturally stood out. He was caught between two worlds and he hated it. Almost as much as he hated the smiling human waving at him.

Neil held his breath as he approached the fire. Aaron had told him his group was traveling to Inglaterra so Neil figured he could at least try to get along with some of them to make the trip more bearable.

“Hello Neil! Dan said that was your name. I’m Nicky! I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself last night since you passed out before you even went inside our tent. I’m Aaron and Andrew’s favorite cousin and I’ll be making sure those two don’t harm you in any way.” Nicky spoke with an enthusiasm that was sure to give Neil a headache, and his personality and looks held no resemblances to the twins. He doubted they were even related. Nicky waited for some kind of response from Neil but when he only received an uncomfortable stare back, he continued speaking, “My specialization is in elemental manipulation, fire manipulation to be specific. So, if you ever need a fire or some warmth, don’t hesitate to call me.”

As if to prove his point, Nicky manipulated the campfire and created a small phoenix that flew around Neil creating a blanket of warmth. His inner dragon curled into itself and for once was content with Neil’s situation. Warmth and sleep were a dragon’s deepest needs.

“Dan and I are also elemental manipulators,” Matt cut in after the phoenix disappeared back into the flames. “I’m an earth manipulator and Dan’s an air manipulator.”

“Have you ever wanted to fly?” Dan asked as she crossed her legs and began to float over to where Neil was sitting. Neil tensed as he fought his inner dragon and its desire to spread its wings and show this human what true flight looked like. The spell marks wouldn’t allow it, but his inner dragon became destructive inside him as it filled with jealousy. _A human can fly, but I am not permitted?_

Neil’s knuckles grew white as he answered, “No.”

“Oh. Well if you ever want to try it just ask me.” Dan flew back to her seat and huddled closer to Matt.

Neil was just beginning to calm his dragon down when a violet portal appeared and a sword, a bow and arrow, a spear, and a dagger flew through it and straight into Neil. A blinding white light blocked the weapons before they could hurt him.

“Allison, that was not very nice.” Renee spoke as she manipulated the light and brought the weapons further away from Neil until they were warped back into the fading portal.

“What? I thought we were going around the circle and showing off our powers. I just wanted to show our new companion what I could do.” Allison flicked her long blonde hair back as several portals of different shades appeared around her. “My specialization is in weapon manipulation. I can create, summon, shape, manipulate and use all kinds of weapons with perfect skill, whether pre-modern, modern or even futuristic. You see this?” Out of a teal portal came a strange weapon Neil had never seen before. It was a black and gray L-shaped mechanical device and when Allison pulled its trigger, it discharged something so fast Neil couldn’t tell what it was or how far it had gone. “It’s called a gun and they’ve yet to be invented. But they sure can kill a man in one shot if aimed correctly.”

Neil had never met anyone with that certain power and feared how humans were expanding their magical capacities to include specializations so deadly.

But what intrigued Neil the most was the bright light Renee had summoned. It had left him with a tingly sensation and had eased and lulled his dragon to a calm sleep. It was white magic being used by someone who clearly was equipped with its opposite: black magic.

As if she could read or sense his thoughts, Renee took to properly introducing herself. “Hello Neil, I know this must be a lot to take in, but it is best to introduce our powers as well as our names as we are one in the same. I also see it as beneficial to be aware of each other’s powers so as to not be alarmed if one uses them unexpectedly as Seth did this morning. He specializes in subjective reality which means he can manipulate the boundary between Fantasy and Reality. If you ever find yourself trapped in another of his illusions, it is important to find something grounding, maybe an item, a place, or a person—something you know deep down as true and real, and the illusion will start to break down.”

Neil nodded and allowed himself to ask, “What about you? Do you specialize _just_ in white arts?”

For a moment Renee’s expression turned dark before it cleared away, leaving only a smile, “I see you recognized the white light. Yes, I have trained in the white arts and I use my magic to help others by healing the mind, body, and soul. However, I tend to focus on dispelling curses through medical potions.” She paused as her mouth set in a hard line, “I also, at times, practice blood magic. A tamer version I would say. Blood Magic is a kind of magic based on the employment of blood which is an important component in many rituals and spells, and I find it to be especially powerful when the right type is used. Yours proved exceptionally powerful and beneficial in a number of my spells. But don’t worry, I don’t acquire blood until I receive full consent from a donator. I’m sorry for this morning, I had taken a drop of your blood without asking you first, it was unlike me and out of line, but I had never performed with healing blood and may have gotten carried away.”

Neil worried his lip as a silence fell over the group. He wasn’t sure how much someone could learn of a being or a creature simply by examining their blood, nor was he certain the spell marks extended to covering and concealing his blood. All he was sure of was that Dragon’s blood was highly distinctive and not many magical creatures possessed healing properties in their blood. Neil was afraid Renee was smart enough to piece his true identity together from a single drop of his blood.  

Nicky picked up on the growing awkwardness and decided to continue revealing the remaining ‘foxes’ powers. “Abby specializes in healing magic which is like super useful cause we’re always getting hurt. She uses potions and spells to bring you back to your optimal health. She can handle most diseases and poisonings, but for serious wounds, broken bones, and damaged organs—let’s just say it requires stronger potions or it really drains her out. Which is why she is now very excited to have you here. She says your blood can aid in her potion making, which means stronger potions and a greater success rate of healing any form of bodily damage.”

Great, more blood talk. Neil didn’t mind being used as some kind of blood bank for the humans, but winter was coming and each day Neil could feel his energy draining quicker. This meant his slumbers were growing longer and draining his blood would only make him weaker. He needed to brumate but so far it seemed as if these humans were constantly on the move. He would need to discuss this pressing matter with Aaron soon.

Dan took over explaining Wymack’s magic, “Just like Renee, Wymack also specializes in white magic, but while Renee’s focus is on dispelling curses, Wymack’s is on Salvation.”

“Salvation?” Neil questioned.

“Yea. His magic is beneficial whether you believe in damnation or not. The power of salvation allows the user to save souls from sins and consequences. They can redeem souls and release them from condemning influences, they can also restore damaged souls and spirits, including purification of souls. Many of us here led troubling lives, we did what we had to because sometimes that’s the only way to survive. Needless to say, our souls were tainted by the time he came across us individually. Wymack believes in second chances, in redemption, that’s why he didn’t give up on us. Instead, he took us in and showed us that there will always be something worth fighting for, that good can and will prevail.” Dan finished her speech with fierce proudness in her eyes.

Neil didn’t know what to think of Wymack’s powers. Could a soul really be purified? He’d seen so many atrocities growing up that he couldn’t fully commit to the idea that everyone deserved a second chance. Some people deserved death for their crimes, some souls were drenched in blood and painted black, some magic was just too destructive. Second chances weren’t for everyone.

The fire was beginning to dwindle so Nicky raised his hand and strengthened it while he continued the explanations, “As for Kevin and Aaron, well as you’ve probably guessed already, Aaron specializes in taming magic. He can tame almost any wild magical creature out there. His real power comes in during synchronizing sessions where he matches his tamed creatures magic and trains them to optimize and control certain power moves or abilities. Although you’re his first official catch, he’s trained with other tamers all his life so he knows what he’s doing. Kevin’s power is similar in a way. He can communicate and control wild animals. It’s how we get most of our meat. He says he can control magical and non-magical creatures too, but we’ve yet to see it happen.” Nicky shrugged, “We’ve never really seen him control an animal either though, not properly at least, before he joined us he was in an accident and it really messed with his powers. He’s been training with Andrew lately but so far there’s been no improvement.”

Aaron had also mentioned an accident and Neil’s curiosity was only growing.

There was one person they had yet to mention and Neil wanted to know as much as he could about the dangerous individual.

“What about Andrew? What does he specialize in?”

The Foxes stayed silent not knowing how to answer. Aaron had mentioned that Andrew wasn’t raised with proper magic training and thus, couldn’t or hadn’t learned to control his magic at times. _He’s a dangerous monster so it’s best to stay away from him or any other deals he tries to make with you._ Neil knew Andrew was dangerous but he wanted to understand why the others called him a monster. What kind of power did _monsters_ have?

It was Nicky who finally spoke, “Andrew was…well let’s just say he was separated from his family at birth and never got the proper magical training he was supposed to get in his youth. He lacked a mentor or someone who could teach him to properly control and manifest his power so he never had a chance to gain a specialization. He’ll get random bursts of uncontrollable magic but he can never control them so they end in destruction…and sometimes even death. He can do basic magic though like move objects and mimic simple spells, but that’s about it. It’s a sore topic for him so try not to bring it up around him, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Neil didn’t like the sound of uncontrollable magic; he also didn’t like how skilled Andrew was with knives and blades.

“But enough about us, tell us more about yourself,” Nicky’s eyes lit up as he spoke, “We’ve already placed bets on what kind of magical creature you are underneath those spell marks. But since you told Dan you’ve never flown before…I’m not sure if any of us nailed it.”

Neil’s jaw clenched. They’ve been betting on him? Had they figured him out already?

Dan hovered above Matt before she draped herself over his shoulders, “Matt and I betted you’re an Alicorn, a winged unicorn. But since you said you’ve never flown, then maybe just a unicorn? Their spiraling horns are said to be made of a special healing light that spreads through their blood. That would explain your blood having healing properties.”

“They’re also known as the purest of the pure and have qualities of love, peace, gentleness, hope, majesty, and mystery,” Matt interjected, “And I might have just met you, but I can sense these qualities in you.”

“You’re an earth manipulator, the only thing you can sense is tremors in the ground. He’s obviously a griffin. Why else would a griffin come down from the sky to save him, he’s clearly part of their herd, or clan, or whatever they call their groups. They also possess healing blood.” Allison seemed confident in her guess and Neil sighed a breath of relief.

“You guys he’s obviously a Caladrius.” Nicky looked smug in his choice, yet Neil had never even heard of such a creature.

“They’re snow-white birds that live in King’s castles. They’re said to be able to take the sickness into their blood and then fly away, disappearing until the sickness is completely healed. This one clearly flew too far away and got lost.”

“Nicky that doesn’t make any sense. Why would someone place beast marks on a Caladrius when all they do is heal?” Allison said.

“Because someone wants his king dead, obviously, Allison. I mean we’re at war here. If the King’s healing bird can’t find its way home or heal anymore then its game over for the King.”

“That actually makes sense.” Matt said before Dan smacked his head.

“No it doesn’t. A Caladrius is a bird that flies, something that Neil says he can’t do.” Dan pointed out.

Nicky thought for a second, “He never said he can’t, he just said he’s never wanted to fly before. Plus, what if he’s lying to throw us off?”

They all turned to Neil expecting a response he wasn’t willing to give.

He settled for a half-truth, “Actually, I don’t know what I am either. I was raised as a human; these spell marks have been on me for as long as I can remember. So, your guess is as good as mine.” It wasn’t a complete lie; Neil was being honest when he said he’s never seen his true form. But he didn’t need to know how he looked to know what he was. The humans didn’t need to know that.

“No way!” Nicky exclaimed, “That’s so sad.”

Although all were taken aback by his claim, Renee seemed to be the wariest. She pressed her lips together as her hand wrapped around a pendant she wore around her neck. Neil saw a flash of light escape between her fingers and turned away from her.

Dan looked thoughtful for a moment before asking Neil, “So does that mean you’ve also never been able to experience or control your own magical power?”

“No, there was a time when the spell was weaker and some of my power would slip through but I couldn’t do much with it.” Neil was surprised at his honesty. Just as he’d never experienced his own true form, he had also been forbidden from using his magical powers. Neil wasn’t even sure what those powers were. Each dragon had the basic Draconic element and energy manipulation powers, but just as humans specialized in certain magics, dragons did too. Neil would probably be dead before he ever figured his out.

He had shivered unknowingly and Nicky was quick to bring his phoenix back from the flames to surround Neil once more.

“What about a Phoenix? You seem to like the warmth. If you’ve never been in your true form, then you don’t know whether you can fly. So an Alicorn, a Griffin, a Caladrius, or a Phoenix are all plausible,” Nicky’s lips quivered, “Aww, don’t worry buddy we’ll help you. Aaron will find a way to break the spell so you can finally be yourself and experience the wonders of magic.”

“Yea! Whatever you turn out to be, the Foxes will support you.” Matt chimed in.

“Unless he turns out to be dangerous,” Allison mumbled under her breath.

Before anyone could respond, Wymack and Aaron returned from the storage tent. Aaron eyed Neil silently as Wymack gathered the other Foxes to make an announcement, “Listen up, we’re staying here one last night and then it’s a three-day trip to Palmetto, so rest up. I don’t want to hear any complaining once we pack up and set off.”

Neil sighed in relief knowing he would at least be able to lie down and rest for the night. Aaron called him aside and he said goodbye to the Foxes before following Aaron to their tent.

“I told Wymack you needed to rest before we set off. I assume you’re feeling drained and drowsy on account of the blood you gave away to those animals and your growing need to hibernate.”

Neil nodded and was surprised at his tamers consideration. He looked around the tent and asked, “Do I sleep outside?”

Aaron’s forehead creased for a moment. “No, why would I make you sleep outside. Just sleep in the middle. Kevin sleeps at the far end, then Nicky, then I do, and you’ll sleep beside me with Andrew on the other side. He has to sleep with the tents wall behind him so don’t argue about it.”

Neil didn’t mind sleeping next to others. All his life he had slept with his mother securely behind him, and it was only recently that he had gone nights curled in on himself and missing the warmth of his mother.

He settled down on the sheepskin while Aaron went off to the side to read some ancient text about spells and whatnot. Nicky was still talking around the fire with the other Foxes, and Aaron had mentioned that Kevin and Andrew were still off training and would be back later that night.

It didn’t take Neil long to drift off to sleep, he only worried about how the others would wake him up in the morning because at that moment he felt as if he could sleep for months on end.

жжж

 Around and around they go, when they’ll stop? Only Kevin knows.

Andrew was laying down on the grassy meadow, not too far away from the campsite, watching the sky as five falcons flew in synchronized patterns. A quick glance at Kevin and Andrew knew he was overexerting himself. He picked up a stone that was an arm’s length away and threw it at Kevin, breaking his concentration. The falcons dispersed, but not before coming down to peck at Kevin, dissatisfied and exhausted at being used unwillingly for hours of practice.

Kevin mumbled an apology to them before turning to Andrew, “What was that for? I was just about to finally gain control of a sixth one that was hiding around here.”

“Look around Kevin, the animals are tired, you’re tired, but most importantly I’m tired of watching you. We’re heading back.”

“I have looked around, and you know what I see? I see the sun’s still out and that means there’s still time for training. You don’t know what we’re up against Andrew, if you did you would take this more seriously and start training yourself. You have so much potential yet you’re just letting it go to waste because you refuse to take control over your own power.” Kevin took once last look at Andrew’s bored expression before waking off. He called out to some deer nearby and took control of the largest buck he could find.

Andrew let his head fall back to the ground and watched as birds passed over him and disappeared into the clouds. He imagined the day the Moriyama’s would unleash Nathan and have him destroy any opposing forces. He could only imagine the size of Nathan’s wings soaring above him, like a temporary eclipse passing by. The first and last dragon he would ever see.

Kevin was deathly afraid of Nathan, but more so of the ones who controlled the infamous dragon. Up until recently, Kevin had lived in the Karasu Empire and had been raised alongside the King’s youngest son, Riko. He knew just how cruel and unforgiving the Moriyamas could be and made sure to remind the Foxes every opportunity he could that they were not to be underestimated.

Andrew was aware of their overwhelming influence and power; he just wouldn’t allow fear to consume him like it did to Kevin. It was true he didn’t feel confident in his magical abilities, but practicing had yet to result in any positive gain. He’d probably end up blowing himself up if just to buy some time for the others, he hoped it would at least take some of Moriyama’s men out.

Andrew moved his hand to his chest. If he concentrated enough, he could sense the white sphere beating inside of him. The griffin had entrusted him with the safety of Neil, despite Andrew’s lack of magical control.

_You have doubts that you are not strong enough to protect, but your heart beats with more magic blood than most. I will gift you with what you need, in return you will protect Kulaja with your life._

The sphere was a gift and Andrew imagined it would help him control his magic, but he had yet to practice using it. Would it really make a difference? He saw a squirrel sneaking up to him and imagined it trapped in a ball. He felt his chest lighten and then saw the squirrel enclosed in a force-field and unable to escape. Andrew sat up immediately.  Had he done that with just a thought?

Andrew crossed his legs and closed his eyes. He began imagining different force fields of various shapes, sizes, and strengths and each time he opened his eyes, they were created. He reached out to touch one near him and felt the magic seep back into him. He wanted to test each barriers durability and considered asking Kevin to run his buck against the shields to see if they would crack. He decided against it when he realized Kevin would ask why he hadn’t been able to form force fields before. Andrew wasn’t a fan of explanations.

Instead he absorbed all the force fields and laid back down lost in thought. He wondered if force field manipulation was his specialization all along, or maybe some other form of defense magic. He knew he was capable of creating magic laced barriers and shields but they were always unreliable and could never protect for long, not with his uncontrollable magic being the energy behind the barriers. But what he was creating right now with the help of the sphere felt completely different. They felt durable and dependable, and most importantly he was creating and supporting several of them at a time. If he continued practicing with the sphere, then his magical powers might turn out to be something useful after all.  

He should start training soon though. News of Firroth’s death had spread rapidly, the question was why hadn’t the Karasu Empire issued a public decree banning all other kingdoms from independent ruling? Andrew knew The Prophecy from memory: _The ruler with the last Dragon under his control is set to rule over all other kingdoms for the rest of time. His descendants will forever hold divine power and their blood will become thick with magic_. So why hadn’t Kengo Moriyama announced to the world that the prophecy had been fulfilled? What was he waiting for?

He felt the white sphere spread light throughout his chest before the meadow began to disappear. Andrew tried to hold on to strands of vanishing grass, but when he looked around he was surrounded by thick black brick walls. He stood up in disbelief, had he been teleported? He looked around and noticed he was next to a large fireplace, it was the only source of light in what appeared to be a ridiculously large room. He was in some kind of palace, manor house or castle, and by looking closely at the elaborate over mantle, it was some big shots home. He observed the area further and was surprised when he noticed there wasn’t a single window built into the walls. He summoned a small light, a trick he was now thankful Nicky had showed him, and walked slowly around the room hoping to find a door to escape from. What he spotted instead was a row of endless black and red flags. Recognition dawned on his face as he stared at the familiar coat of arms adorned with a red eyed black raven. This was a grand castle’s great hall. And it belonged to Kengo Moriyama. Andrew had somehow teleported himself to his own death.  


	6. Red-Black Ravens and Yellow-Black Bumble Bees

Andrew tried his best not to let a wave of panic overwhelm him, but all signs pointed to the white sphere somehow transporting him to the Karasu Empire’s Great Hall. If he were spotted by a guard or any high-ranking officer, he would have no form of identification to present. He’d be killed on the spot.

He continued searching for any opening he could escape from but as he circled the room he realized the Great Hall was closed off, as if needing some sort of magic spell to unlock a hidden entrance. Andrew closed his eyes and searched his photographic memory for any helpful spells he may have come across during his life. There were a couple but even if he were to find a way out of the Great Hall, he’d still be stuck somewhere in the middle of the Karasu Empire’s main castle. A castle that homed Kengo Moriyama. A castle that was protected by the last and deadliest dragon known to man: Nathan. He swore and placed his right hand over his chest attempting to summon up the white sphere again.

“Come on, you brought me here somehow, now take me back,” Andrew whispered to himself. He was not expecting the sphere to light up and appear in front of him.

_Do not panic. Breathe. Your body is back safely in the meadows with your friend, Kevin, watching over it. This is simply your mind visiting other lands._ A soft-spoken voice said in Andrew’s head. A voice he believed came from the white sphere.

Andrew rubbed his eyes, “Did you just talk?”

_In your mind, yes._

“Okay. Great, on top of Griffins and marked creatures who revive themselves, this is surprisingly not the craziest thing that has happened in the past couple of days. Who or what are you exactly?”

_My name is Betsy and in this form, I guess you could say I’m an aura of sorts. In sum, I am here to help you unlock and master your true mental and magical potential._

“In this form? You mean to say you have other forms?”

_I’m sorry to disappoint, but my true form is not a white floating sphere_ , Betsy let out a quiet chuckle before continuing, _I am a human living among Griffins researching the limits of my magic, and in doing so I hope to help individuals such as yourself, Andrew._

“A-huh. If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly can your magic do? Is your specialization in telepathy with a side of altruism?” Andrew asked as he walked up to one of the countless red and black flags hanging about throughout the room. He tried to tear it down but his hand went right through the fabric. It seemed this Betsy person was right about only his mind being present. He was a ghost on foreign land. Oh, the possibilities.

The white sphere, or Betsy, better yet, followed him closely as he went to sit down on the golden throne placed at the forefront of the Great Hall. Andrew imagined only Kengo, or the current ruling king, could sit there and took great pleasure in breaking a Karasu sacred law. His ‘ghost’ body thankfully did not go through the gold so he made himself comfortable as he waited for Betsy to continue with her explanation.  

_Amongst other things, yes._ At Andrew’s raised eyebrow, she continued, _My magic focuses on the mind, the study of the mind and its function, to be more specific. I possess an innate understanding of psychology and can use it by helping those with mental or emotional problems that might hinder magical control._

Andrew froze, “Psychological Intuition.” He’d heard of the rare power in passing, but he knew more of its malevolent uses. A user had the potential of changing the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. One could even manipulate others into doing their bidding, or go as far as to drive some to acts of murder or suicide. Oh no, Andrew did not like the sound of that. Not at all.

_Andrew, I can hear your thoughts and I want you to know that I am not going to manipulate you in any way. For this to work, we need to be able to trust each other._

“You, a complete stranger, has access to my mind and behaviors. You really think I can trust you. You don’t know the first damn thing about me.”

_I’m willing to learn Andrew. And if you can’t trust me right now, then trust the Griffin that allowed me contact with you. You know they are uncappable of deception and malevolent actions._

Andrew felt a strong headache coming. Betsy was a fool to believe she could ever earn Andrew’s trust. He felt a chill run through him at the thought of someone else holding control over him in any way. How had the griffins come to trust Betsy, a human with very dangerous powers? Had she also managed to manipulate them? He had so many questions and no answers. He settled for the easiest, “How did my mind end up here?”

_Through your own powers I suppose, I only helped enhance them._

“I don’t have specific powers besides being able to occasionally make a weak barrier, so what do you mean?”

_Andrew, do you really believe that to be true? You have magic bursting at the seams, so much that at times you cannot control it. I sense no weak magic in you, simply a mental hindrance that is interfering with your magical potential. One that I can help you overcome, if you’d let me._ She paused for a second. _Do you remember what you were thinking about before you appeared here?_

Andrew thought back, “I was wondering why Kengo had yet to issue a public decree over the death of Firroth. The Moriyama’s should have everything going for them so what could they possibly be waiting for?”

_Do you think your magic could have sent you here to answer your questions? Maybe acquire some sensitive information?_

“How’s that possible?”

_Andrew, we live in a world of magic. Anything is possible._

“So you’re saying my specialization is in some kind of extrasensory perception? That I can just pop up wherever I want, listen in on secret conversations, and then just jump right back into my body once I’ve heard enough?”

_One of your specializations, yes._

“One? As in I have multiple?”

_Bursting at the seams, Andrew._

Bursting, Andrew thought, bursting. His head felt like it could burst any minute with the throbbing headache that was developing beneath his temples. The sphere’s bright light was beginning to hurt his eyes.

“Can you maybe manifest into something a little easier on the eyes?”

_Sure, what did you have in mind?_

The buzzing in his head continued as he thought of what to say. Ha. Buzzing. “What about a bee?”

_Sure thing, Andrew_. The white sphere shrunk and changed into a fuzzy black and yellow bumble bee. _Although, I have to say, if you’re getting a migraine, it might be because you’re pushing your power’s time limit. You might have to return to your body soon._

“I’m not leaving until I find something out,” Andrew said stubbornly.

Just then, across the hall, what seemed like black boiling bubbles formed and popped, bringing ravens. The ravens aligned themselves creating a sigil and after some time, four men appeared above it. Andrew grew tense, despite his physical form not being present, he was still able to feel magical presences, and the four men each radiated with absurd amounts of magic. A paralyzing thrill kept Andrew from reacting to his survival instincts which urged him to run, hide, or fight. He might not recognize the individuals merely from their appearance, but their power. Oh, their power was unmistakable. Only a fool would not recognize the distinctive mass of power known to belong to Dragons: Draconic Magic. Nathan, stood before him in his human form. He towered over the rest of the men in the room and kept his distance as dark energy circled around him. Andrew had heard from Aaron (residential and self-proclaimed dragon expert) that Nathan possessed an abundance of destructive magic, and disuse lead to a steady secretion of the lethal magic. If anyone attempted to get near him while the dark energy surrounded him, they would begin to decay.

Heading straight towards Andrew, was a man dressed in black regal robes accented with red lace. The ravens followed him as he went to take his seat on the golden throne. Andrew decided he’d rather stand than be sat on, and stood behind the throne. Stood behind Kengo Moriyama.

Andrew guessed the other two men were Kengo’s brother, Tetsuji Moriyama, and eldest son, Ichirou Moriyama. Tetsuji’s presence seemed calmed compared to the others while Ichirou’s held a certain air of command. He was next in line after all.

Kengo lifted a hand and the largest of his ravens flew off to retrieve a battered scroll. He unraveled the scroll and read out loud, “The ruler with the last Dragon under his control is set to rule over all other kingdoms for the rest of time. His descendants will forever hold divine power and their blood will become thick with magic.”

A pregnant pause fell over the room before Kengo continued, “Let me read that again. The ruler with the last Dragon under his control is set to rule over all other kingdoms for the rest of time. His descendants will—”

Nathan cut him off with flared nostrils, “I get it.”

“Do you now? Then maybe you’d do us the honor of explaining why nothing has changed. Firroth is dead. I was there with you when you delivered the final blow. In that moment I expected my blood to thicken with unparalleled magic,” Kengo paused and gestured at his son, “Ichirou awaits for the promised results as well. But you see Nathan, I am not as patient as my son.” Kengo whistled, a low chilling sound, and Andrew watched in a hypnotic trance as ravens seemed to slip through every crack and crevice until the great hall was converted into an abyss of darkness.

_Andrew, you must leave now. This magic transcends—_

Betsy’s voice cut off in his head and Andrew felt sick to his stomach. He couldn’t move or see in the darkness, but he could still hear. Nathan’s deafening screams filled his head and Andrew felt seconds away from his head exploding.

“The Draco-nihil clan! It has to be the Draco-nihil clan!” Nathan managed to scream out, “They were born dragons, it doesn’t matter if they are humans now, the prophecy must still see them as dragons!”

“Cease.” Kengo called out and the ravens dispersed.

Although the darkness faded, Andrew continued to feel disorientated and struggled to regain his composure as he battled the pain in his head. He had to stay here. He had to listen.

“The Draco-nihil clan?” Ichirou spoke up, “They have protected status. Massacring them is grounds for another war.”

“A war I can assure you we will win once they are annihilated and I become the last dragon, in all senses. You will rule amongst every land, no one will dare question your actions Lord Moriyama,” Nathan vouched.

Ichirou looked away disapprovingly, but Kengo had the last say in how they would proceed.

“Very well then, they will die. However, if anything is to go wrong or should your notion prove false,” Kengo summoned a single raven’s feather, “I hold your life in the palm of my hands, Nathan, do not forget that. There are uses still for even a dead dragon,” Kengo warned.

Andrew’s vision was growing hazy, he was satisfied with what he heard, and was ready to go back to his body. Yet without Betsy in his head, he wasn’t sure how to use his extrasensory perception to end his visit to the Karasu Empire.

Andrew felt his conscious fading as he stumbled around. He eerily did not go unnoticed as a raven turned and stared straight at him. Andrew caught its eye as the pain in his head faded and darkness crept into his vision, but not before he felt something slip down his throat.

ЖЖЖ

Aaron was fighting the exhaustion in his bones. He wanted to finish reading his latest book of spells before he called it a night. But watching Neil in a deep sleep and feeling the tranquility spread through their bond was making it harder for Aaron to keep his eyes open. And just as he was about to lay down—

“Aaron help me! He won’t wake up!” Kevin’s head popped into their shared tent and the sheer unfiltered fear in Kevin’s eyes had Aaron up and awake in a second.

Aaron stepped outside their tent to find his unconscious twin on top of a stag. Blood was slowly trickling from his brother’s nose and Aaron felt himself panic. He had never seen Andrew so lifeless, so defenseless.

“What happened to him? How long has he been like this?” Aaron asked as he pulled Andrew down from the stag and into the tent. He laid him down on his preferred spot next to the tent walls which also happened to be next to a still sleeping Neil.  

“I don’t know, I was practicing my magic near him and he seemed all right, just his usual moody self. I didn’t know anything was wrong until a squirrel broke my concentration when it told me my friend was bleeding and unresponsive. He’s been like this for almost an hour. I’ve tried everything, but he won’t wake up.” Kevin paced the tent until he remembered, “I haven’t called Abby, maybe she’ll know what’s wrong.” Kevin quickly left the tent and Aaron was left alone to assess the situation.

Aaron tried shaking his brother awake, but just as Kevin had said, Andrew was unresponsive. He opted to wait for Abby instead of risking further damage on his brother and was cleaning the dried blood on his face when Abby, and what seemed like all the Foxes, entered the tent. Abby had brought some premade potions from her emergency collection. She dabbed a combination of the potions onto a handkerchief and held it under Andrew’s nose until he stirred from unconsciousness.  Aaron would have to ask her later about that particularly potent mixture. 

The moment Andrew became aware of his surroundings was the moment he pulled his blade out and began swinging. Instead of trying to contain him, Wymack and Renee quickly got the Foxes away from the tent until it was only Aaron, Nicky, Kevin, and Neil—who continued to sleep, undisturbed by the ruckus around him.

It took some time before Andrew calmed down enough to ask Kevin what had happened. Once he got his explanation, Andrew remained eerily still until he called for Wymack.

“Finally done with your little rampage? You want to tell us what the hell happened to you out there?” Wymack asked as he made his way into the middle of the tent, making sure Andrew had enough space to himself. The rest of the Foxes followed behind Wymack, squeezing into each other to have a place to stand. Aaron doubted they could all fit and still give Andrew enough personal space to not go off again.

“A buzzing bee took me on a very insightful journey,” Andrew answered Wymack for once. His response left the tent’s attendees scratching their heads.

Nicky, the mother hen of Andrew’s group, was quick to defend Andrew’s sudden lapse of sanity, “He’s not all there—give him a couple of minutes to function properly. He was out for quite a while, right Kevin?”

Kevin nodded while Andrew sent Nicky a death glare. Andrew looked down at his chest, rubbing it for a while before looking at Wymack and expanding on his perplexing statement, “Extrasensory Perception. What do you know about it?”

Wymack paused before turning to all the others in the room, “Everyone, leave us for a moment. Abby and Dan, stay.”

The tent exploded in protest but with one sharp look from Wymack, the rest pulled back, disgruntled and curious. Everyone but Aaron.

“Aaron you too. Out.” Wymack maintained.

“No. Andrew’s my brother and I have a right to know what happened to him out there.”

“Interesting time for you to start caring,” Andrew interjected, “Never seen you very concerned about my well-being before.”

Aaron huffed with indignation. He was tired of Andrew. Tired of his defensive attitude. Tired with the way Andrew always managed to ruin every good thing he came across, always on the pretense that he did what he did to protect Aaron. And he was especially tired with his brother’s constant air of secrecy. Aaron figured now was as good as ever to turn the tables on his brother and gain some semblance of equal footing in their strained relationship.

“You always seem so concerned about my every move, maybe it’s time I did the same for you. I want to know the truth of what happened, the truth you’re so willing to give Wymack.” Aaron replied sharply.

Wymack let out his signature sigh—a sigh he always had ready when dealing with either twin. “Aaron, I’ll be relaying what I hear from Andrew to the others and yourself once I hear it for myself. I don’t want a fight to start between the two of you, so just leave it.”

“You’ll relay only what Andrew asks you to, and omit the rest. I’m staying. Plus…” Aaron looked around the room until his eyes reached Neil, “The bond I have with Neil allows me to connect with his surroundings, meaning that at any time I can see, and in this case, hear what he hears, unconscious or not.” Aaron didn’t know how much of that was true. There had been cases of tamers and creatures having bonds strong enough so that it was possible, but what Aaron and Neil had right now was weak. But the others didn’t need to know that.

Andrew called him out, “Bullshit.”

“You want to find out?” Aaron challenged.

“Enough. Aaron you can stay but shut your mouth. I feel a headache coming and I haven’t even heard what Andrew has to say yet.” Wymack motioned to Andrew, “Start talking.”

Andrew kept silent and locked eyes with his twin. Aaron held his breath. He didn’t think Andrew would talk while he was still in the tent, but he planted his feet down and he wouldn’t budge under his brother’s glare. Aaron’s attention was split between staring at Andrew’s hand which tightened on his blade and the dried blood under his brother’s pale nose. Aaron had no idea what could have shaken his brother so much that he would lose consciousness while watching over Kevin. Whatever had happened, Andrew hadn’t been prepared to handle it, and he didn’t want Aaron to know that there were things he couldn’t anticipate, things he couldn’t _control_.

Andrew tore his eyes away from Aaron and looked down at his hands. They tightened around the blade before he relaxed them. Aaron could have sworn he saw the blade glow red.

“The prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Nathan is not the last dragon.”

Before Aaron could begin to process what Andrew had said, Wymack’s magic stilled the tent. Dan’s mouth had been opened, ready to attack Andrew with questions, but Wymack stopped her. Wymack’s voice was eerily serious when he asked, “Care to clarify that Andrew. That’s a lot to unpack with no context given.”

Andrew brought his blade up to his face and inspected it as he spoke, “The Moriyama’s aren’t any stronger than they were before Firroth’s death. Nathan believes the Draco-nihil clan is to blame for the prophecy’s delay. His argument is that since many in the clan were born dragons, the prophecy must be lumping them together with Nathan as living dragons, despite them losing their inner dragons. They might be humans now, but…” Andrew’s brows furrowed as if he was trying to recall a detail from his memory, “No one is sure how exactly the prophecy works. They might find ways to return to what they once were. To dragons. If that’s the case, then it is true that Nathan is not the last dragon. And Kengo can’t have that. The Moriyama Dynasty is going to attack a protected clan on protected land. Another war is coming. And it’s not the one we were preparing for.”

Dan was quick to speak, “Andrew I swear to—”

“This is no time for one of your jokes Andrew.” Wymack interrupted.

The room was tense and Aaron’s mouth was dry.

Abby walked forward and handed Andrew a cloth. His nose had begun to bleed again. Aaron hadn’t even noticed.

“Andrew can we know how you came to acquire such sensitive information?” Abby asked as she stepped away from Andrew, making sure he had enough space to himself. “You had mentioned something about Extrasensory Perception earlier?”

“My head hurts. Let Bee explain.” Andrew wiped his nose clean and laid back onto his makeshift bed.

Aaron watched in wonder as a glowing white sphere appeared from Andrew’s chest. Andrew mumbled something about bright lights before placing his forearm over his face. The sphere made its way to the middle of tent before addressing Wymack and Abby in what sounded like a woman’s voice.

“Hello David, hello Abby, it has been a while.”

Abby gasped and Wymack took to cursing as a great sense of relief and recognition dawned on him.

“Betsy? Is that really you. Where the hell are you? We haven’t seen you in years. We thought…” Wymack’s eyes went dark for a second before they returned to their usual heaviness. He rubbed at them.

“We thought we lost you.” Abby finished for him.

“I owe you both a lengthy explanation, I am aware of that. However, I can assure you I am safe. I cannot disclose my current location and whereabouts but I am in good hands. As you can see, I am heading my own research, with the help of Andrew here.”

Andrew’s head lifted at the sound of his name. He narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean research?”

Betsy caught herself, “I still have much to explain to you as well, but it can wait. There seems to be an air of confusion and I will  do my best to dispel it, so please bear with me. Andrew just awakened one of his magical abilities.”

“One? As in he has more?” Aaron couldn’t help but ask. Last he knew, Andrew couldn’t even control his formless magic.

“Yes as in more than one. But let’s not derail.” Betsy chided.

Andrew snapped his fingers and drew the sphere’s attention, “Before you start, can you do us all a favor and stop being so bright. Some of us are a bit light-sensitive at the moment.”

“Of course, Andrew. It’s quite cumbersome, this form.” The glowing white sphere turned into a bee and Aaron had to sit down. It was all becoming too much.

Andrew rubbed his temples, “Much appreciated, Bee.” 

Betsy hummed and buzzed closer to Wymack and Abby. “To put it simply, Andrew possesses Extrasensory Perception. It’s a variation of enhanced senses that allows him to perceive things by means other than previous or personal experience. The means to which someone with Extrasensory Perception can acquire information varies from individuals. Andrew, in particular, seems to be able to acquire knowledge by visual means. Andrew’s ability can be used passively such as an instinctual reaction or actively by wanting to know specific information.”

Betsy made a beeline for Andrew, resting her quarter-sized body on Andrew’s shoulders after a moment’s hesitation. “Before mentally disappearing, Andrew was questioning the Moriyama’s lack of action. Thus, his mind was transported to the Karasu Empire where his question was answered. However, going through my notes over the events that just transpired, it seems as if Andrew may suffer from sensory overload when visually exposed for long periods of time.”

It was almost unbelievable. A talking bee. Andrew having such a rare and useful power. The possibility of the Draco-nihil clan returning to Dragons. Hope that the war was not lost. Aaron closed his eyes. It was almost unbelievable, but maybe…maybe it didn’t hurt to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Can you believe it's been 10 months since I last updated. That's so wild and I do apologize but that's life. Expect a longer update next week cause I'm finally back to writing.


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